The same....but different

Mont Blanc Pen or Bic?

Godiva chocolate or Hershey's?

Mercedes or Neon?

Coach leather bag or vinyl knock-off?

Manolo Blahnik or Payless BOGO?

800 thread-count sheets or $29.95 "bed in a bag"?

Dom Perignon or J. Roget?

These items are in the same catagories, right? Well, sort of. The pens will both write, and the cars will get you from Point A to Point B. Either purse will hold your wallet and keys and both sets of sheets will cover your bed. But that's where the similarities end.

The Godiva and the Dom are made from finer ingredients than their counterparts. They taste better. Have you ever driven a Mercedes? It FEELS better. Very much like the 800-thread count sheets.

Is it worth the premium price? It's a matter of debate; everyone has different priorities. Some women would rather spend $50 on a bag every year rather than $200 for a Coach bag once every 4 years - even though the price is the same in the end. One pound of Hershey's chocolate is about $4. One pound of Godiva chocolate is $30 to $45. So, for the same amount of money I can get 10 pounds of Hershey's or just one pound of Godiva. Quality or quantity? (personally if I'm going to blow my diet I want the best I can find - it had better be worth it!)

It's a question we run into often at SGB from new customers - "How many items go into a $30 basket? How about a $50 basket?" - and it's tough to answer. When we first opened we only carried "gourmet" brands - Lindt, Ghirardelli, etc. We honestly didn't think anyone would want gifts with grocery store brands like Snickers, Reese's and Hershey's. We eventually realized that there are situations where they are MORE appropriate - kids and teenager's gifts in particular, so we developed a line of fun, less expensive "junk food" gifts. And guess what? We now sell TONS of them.

Back to our question - how many items does a $30 gift basket have in it? Well, it might have 15-18 assorted boxes of candy and candy bars, or it might have one box of Lindt truffles, some delectable cookies, gourmet nuts, and premium coffee. 15 things vs. 4 things. Which is better? It depends on your audience. Is your client's 8 year old daughter going to appreciate the Lindt truffles? Probably not. But she'll be thrilled with some peanut butter cups, gummy bears and chocolate chip cookies.

What if the gift is a "thank you for your business" for your biggest client? Are you going to send Lindt or Snickers? Neither is right or wrong and both have their place. Giving a gift to a client or business associate sends a message and demonstates your appreciation for the relationship. What kind of message are YOU trying to send?