DO take care that your gifts are generic in gender   Extra care should be taken that gifts are not construed as intimate in any way.-

DO inquire about gift protocol  Check with the company ahead of time about their gift giving policy. Some companies may have rules about receiving gifts.

DO double check spelling of names on outgoing gifts   Nothing is more embarrassing than spelling the recipients name incorrectly. Type your own labels and include holiday cards that are checked by you when having multiple gifts drop shipped.

DO send different gifts   If you have a group of clients you send to each year, give different gifts, so everyone looks forward to what you've come up with this year.

DO use logo's sparingly.

DON'T send a group gift, unless everyone knows each other   If your client is a large company and you work with multiple people at the company, sending a group gift is only appropriate if the intended recipients know and work with each other and you send the gift to a central location.

DON'T reciprocate automatically  If a person sends you a gift, there is no need to give in return. But do make sure you either call or write a thank you note to the giver, thanking them for their thoughtfulness.

DON'T forget the gatekeepers and assistants   They will appreciate you and so will their bosses.

DON'T overlook international etiquette  If your gift is being sent out of the US, check into local customs first. You do not want to accidentally send the wrong message, or have the recipient pay tax or duty on the gift you send. (A section on international etiquette is coming in the February 2001 edition of Creative Gifting On-line).

DON'T give gifts to former clients Doing so will look like an attempt to win back their business. If you must send something, send a card, but not for more than 1 year afterward.

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