60% of the American population thinks that they’re outstanding gift-givers… We’re willing to bet that a good portion of those surveyed are delusional since most people that we’ve received things from, however good their intentions were, really weren’t that talented in the art of gifting.
We know that sounds mean because, honestly, anytime that somebody gives somebody anything you’ve got to respect them for trying. What we think though is that a lot of people put their minds on the wrongs tracks when mulling over gift-possibilities which leads them to spend a lot of money of gifts that end up collecting dust at the bottom of drawers.
In this post, we aim to save you from giving gifts that are met with that fake, high-pitched, “Thank you so much!”
Here are some tips on how to find the perfect gift.
1. Ask Yourself What the Person Needs
An average gift is based on what somebody wants. An incredible gift is based on what somebody needs.
So, ask yourself, what does the person that you’re trying to figure out how find the perfect gift for need?
Does the person you’re gifting to ride a bike every day to school with a broken seat? Do they always lose things because their purse has a pesky hole in it?
Think about a gift that can really move the needle for the person you’re buying for and let that thought process guide your gift search.
2. Consider Gifts Around Their Hobby
A great way to really narrow down your gift possibilities is to consider the person you’re buying for’s hobbies. The more niche and secret the hobby, the better because if a recipient’s hobby is really well-known, you’re probably going to end up buying them the same thing that a bunch of other people are going to buy them.
Knowing what your special someone’s hidden hobbies are and buying the perfect gift related to it is a matter of getting to know them better and doing a little bit of research on what they love.
With some effort, you’ll almost certainly walk away with a gift that’ll leave your recipient speechless.
3. Pay Attention
A ton of people that wonder how to find the perfect gift claim that they have no idea where to start because the person they’re buying for never asks for anything.
To that, we always say, “Start paying attention!”
Even people that never ask for gifts give off tons of hints on what they have their eyes on. These hints can come in the way of subtle comments like, “I’m going to buy that one day.” or “Italian food with a good Merlot wine is my idea of a perfect evening.”
The more mental notes that you make when people make comments, the better equipped that you’re going to be to give the perfect gift!
4. Ask Their Inner Circle
Are you not able to dig up the kind of dirt that you need to find a great gift for someone? If that’s the case, see if you can talk to a person that’s better positioned to collect information.
For example, if a boy that you’re buying a gift for has a best friend, ask the friend for advice. They might be able to turn you onto some awesome wishlist maker that your recipient uses that’ll give you some ideas.
Just make sure that you trust the friend enough to not spill the beans that you’re shopping around.
5. Nonchalantly Probe
Sometimes, waiting for subtle hints to emerge can lead to an endless game of sitting still and keeping your fingers crossed. If you want to take fate into your own hands when it comes to nabbing gift ideas, probing is your best bet.
The key to probing the person that you’re buying for is that you want to keep things subtle, otherwise, they’re going to know that you’re fishing for ideas on what to buy them.
Asking hypothetical questions like, “If you had $100.00 that you had to spend in 8-hours, where would you spend it?” is a fun way to discreetly get some productive conversions going.
6. Opt for an Experience
No matter how much thought you put into the purchase of material things, there’s a good chance that they’ll go out of style sooner than later and end up in a bin somewhere. If you want to give something that lasts rather than a singular object, try gifting an experience.
Does the person that you’re buying for wish that they could visit Hawaii? Throw them a surprise luau party that replicates the experience (or if you’re rolling in cash, feel free to buy some plane tickets).
7. Think Unconventional
Nothing says bad gift giver quite like giving somebody something that 4 other people gave them.
To avoid that embarrassing fate, it’s important that you direct your thoughtfulness down unconventional pathways.
Don’t buy something that your gift recipient can and probably will end up buying for themselves. Gift them something that incorporates creativity in some way and will strike the person you’re gifting to as being “out of the box”.
Even if you end up buying something that super far-afield, you’ll at least earn points for being thoughtful!
8. Go With a Fail-Safe Gift Card
We hesitate to write this bullet because giving somebody a gift card is not that thoughtful.
If you’re going to spend money on something that’s pretty run-of-the-mill though, your dollars will go further if you take the money you were going to spend, put that money on a Visa gift card and stick it in an envelope with a bow on top.
Wrapping Up How to Find the Perfect Gift for Anyone
If you want to find the perfect gift for somebody, you’re going to want to channel all of your investigative skills to make observations that’ll lead you towards ideas that nobody else would ever think of.
We know that sounds like a tall task but we believe that you’re up to the challenge!
If you need more gift-giving inspiration, don’t hesitate for a second to dive deeper into the content pool on our blog!
