Dale Carnegie likely didn't write his masterpiece with client gifting in mind. But all the same, I think the essence of his wisdom easily translates to the mind-melting, fingernail-biting, stress-inducing, age-old question that most business folks asks themselves in Q4: Should I get my client a gift? Consider this guide your best kept secret to help answer the question above. And if the answer happens to be yes, then this guide also will serve as a reference library of ways to make said gifts more impactful, meaningful and personal.  Because that's REALLY how you win friends, and influence people (and customers, employees, colleagues...

Take a chance. Try something new. You'll be the hit of the hood!

While these ideas may be more expensive than the bag of 100 mini candy bars you can buy at Target or Walmart, you're guaranteed to be the coolest house on the block and can feel good about what you're putting into the hands of your neighbors and friends too.

IT'S TRUE WHAT THEY SAY.  WHEN A PIZZA IS GOOD, IT'S GREAT!  BUT EVEN WHEN A PIZZA IS BAD, IT'S STILL PRETTY GOOD.

Gifts are kind of the same.  Any gift you give is a nice gesture, sure…but if you hate kiwi on your pizza, for example, and someone gives you a pizza covered in kiwi slices, your good feelings about the person who gifted you the pie-from-hell might be slightly diminished from where they were pre-pie!

If you are a parent, you have likely played "Red light. Green light." with your kiddos at some point in their lives. I prefer "The Quiet Game" but winning the lottery would be easier than having my kids play it properly!

If you are not a parent, and you have not played this game, I envy you.  Just kidding.  Ok, mostly kidding.  The game is simple.  You yell "Green Light" and your kids RUN.  You yell "Red Light" and your kids STOP.

We're going to play a fun version of it below, for some common occasions when you may be unsure as to whether a gift is necessary.

When you own a cookie company, it is highly likely that everyone you know has been on the receiving end of a gift box of your insanely delicious and extremely addictive cookies. 

So what to do when I need to give a gift to someone I like, or love, or want to impress?  Here are some of my favorite things: