Because I'm in the gifting business, people naturally ask me what they should send a client or referral partner.

My first thought is usually: let's figure out who you're trying to stay connected with before we worry about the gift.

Think about the people who have made a difference in your business. Maybe it's a longtime client, someone who regularly refers business to you, a newer client you'd like to build a stronger relationship with, an employee, or a professional connection who is always willing to make an introduction.

You don't need a list of hundreds of people. In fact, I think a smaller, thoughtful list is much more useful.

Ask yourself, “Who are the people I don't want to lose touch with this year?”

Once you know who those people are, it becomes much easier to think about how you want to stay connected with them.

One of the easiest ways to become more intentional about your business relationships is to start with the things you already know.

Maybe you know a client's birthday. You know when you started working together. You know an employee's anniversary. You know a business is celebrating a milestone later this year.

Those dates aren't surprises, but they're very easy to forget when you're in the middle of running your own business.

Put them on your calendar now.

That simple step changes relationship building from something you hope you'll remember into something you've actually planned for.

This is the part I think businesses sometimes overlook.

Not every opportunity to strengthen a relationship is going to appear on your calendar six months ahead of time.

Someone sends you an unexpected referral. A client gets a promotion. A business owner you know opens a second location. Someone makes an introduction that turns into an amazing opportunity for you.

Those are wonderful reasons to reach out, and sometimes they mean even more because the person wasn't expecting anything.

Plan what you know.
Leave room for what you don't.

That's one of my favorite ways to think about relationship building. Have a plan, but leave enough flexibility to recognize the moments that simply happen.

Think about the people you enjoy hearing from. Chances are, they don't contact you only when they need something.

Business relationships aren't that different.

Sometimes a handwritten note, a quick congratulations, an introduction, a thank-you or an unexpected gift is enough to say, “I was thinking about you.”

And that feels very different from hearing from someone only when they're looking for a referral, a sale or a favor.

You don't have to contact everyone every month. In fact, that could start to feel forced. The goal is simply to create enough meaningful touchpoints that you don't completely disappear between transactions.

This is something I say often when talking about gifting.

A meaningful gesture isn't meaningful because of the price tag. It's meaningful because the person receiving it can tell there was a reason behind it.

If you're going to send a gift, don't begin by asking what's popular. Think about the recipient first.

What do you know about them? What are they celebrating? Why are you reaching out? What would make them smile? Most importantly, what do you want them to feel when they receive it?

Sometimes even the note that accompanies the gift can make all the difference. Telling someone why you thought of them makes the gesture personal.

Good intentions are wonderful, but they're very easy to lose in a busy week.

You don't need complicated software to stay connected with people. Start with something simple that you'll actually use.

Keep track of the people you want to stay connected with, the important dates you know, when you last reached out and little things you learn about them along the way.

Maybe you learn that a client loves baseball. A referral partner just became a grandparent. Someone is celebrating ten years in business.

Those little details are what help a relationship feel like a relationship instead of a name in a database.

Gifting can be a wonderful part of staying connected, but I don't believe the gift itself should be the strategy.

The relationship comes first.

The gift is simply one way to acknowledge a referral, celebrate a milestone, say thank you, recognize an accomplishment or remind someone that you appreciate the relationship.

And when you stop thinking about gifting as something you do only during the holidays, you suddenly have an entire year of meaningful opportunities to connect.

That idea is actually what led me to create Couture Connections.

I created Couture Connections because I kept coming back to the same thought: businesses know relationships matter, but staying connected with everyone throughout the year can easily become another thing on an already long to-do list.

Couture Connections is a 12-month relationship-building gifting program for businesses. Instead of starting with gifts, we start with the people you want to stay connected with.

Together, we create an Annual Connection Plan. We identify the clients, referral partners, employees and other important business relationships you want to recognize throughout the year.

Some of those Connections can be planned ahead. Others stay available for the referral you didn't expect, the congratulations you suddenly get to send or the person who simply deserves a thank-you.

Then my job is to take the gifting part off your plate. Couture Gifting handles the gift, your personalized message, the presentation and shipping it directly to your recipient.

You get to focus on the relationship.

One of the things I love about business relationships is that you rarely know where they're going to lead.

Today's client may become tomorrow's referral partner. Someone you meet at a networking event may introduce you to an incredible opportunity two years from now. An employee may become one of your biggest advocates.

That's why I don't think relationship building should begin when we need something from someone.

Remember people. Celebrate with them. Thank them when they help you. Reach out occasionally just because you thought of them.

Those aren't complicated things, but over time they matter.

Because great business relationships are built
in the moments between the big moments.