Terminology Tuesday – The Gift Basket

(Note: I think it’s important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with ‘Terminology Tuesday’ as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It’s important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you’re all on the same page).

(Note: A pic of a recent gift basket I put together for the park manager of one of my favorite parks).

One of the goodies I put together for park managers and owners that I work with are gift baskets. Now, I know some may be quietly laughing as it’s a bit old fashioned. But, believe it or not – gift baskets really make for a neat and personalized gift for any occasion.

Regarding gift baskets, I used to buy them already pre-made. However, the problem with them being bought already made is that a lot of times the types of things I would like to include in the gift basket may not always be there. For me, I really like to customize my gifts and cater them to each person. So, I’ve actually started to put together and make my own gift baskets.

Ok, so how does one go about putting together a gift basket? Personally, I really like gourmet and international type of foods. So, usually my gift basket adventures take me to one of my favorite places to shop for international and gourmet foods, World Market.

I usually pick out a few items based on the person I’m shopping for. Now, here’s where the hard part comes in. While I’m developing a relationship with a park manager and/or owner, I usually bring up the topic of food and find out what their likes/dislikes are.

(Note: For me, I’m a secret foodie of international and gourmet type foods. My favorite type of food is Italian. Though, I prefer my pasta prepared and cooked how it is served in Italy, al dente style!).

For me, it’s very enjoyable to talk about different types of foods and see what others like/don’t like. And, I find – the subject of food is an easy topic to talk about. Most folks tend to have an opinion and can talk about food in general. So, it’s usually a fun discussion! 🙂

In any case, I usually make note of our food conversations when I visit and talk to park managers and owners. And, I make a point to remember.

As I write this, I can tell you of one park manager who comes to mind who really enjoys chocolate with almonds and another one who likes table water crackers with cracked pepper and Cracker Barrel type cheese. These are details that are very important in developing long term relationships – remembering these details really impress folks.

(Note: Back when I was in sales, I was trained to remember small little details with business prospects I met. Usually, I would write these small little details on the back of each prospect’s business card after a meeting. I found this exercise really did wonders for maintaining business relationships for the long term).

Once I pick out all of the items needed for the gift basket, then I head on over to a craft supply store, such as Michaels, to purchase the basket itself and some decorations. Here’s a quick video on the various types of gift baskets:

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And, here’s another video on how to arrange items in your gift basket:

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Lastly, just for fun here’s a video on food type gift baskets:

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All in all, I’ve found gift baskets to be a great and personalized type gift used in business for that special someone for any occasion. Plus, they are fun to make!

(Note: If you’ve ever put together a gift basket before, I’d definitely be interested in hearing about your experience. Thanks for reading!)

Since we are on the topic of fun, I’ll leave you here with a great clip from the television show, “The Office,” about the power of the gift basket. Enjoy! 🙂

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I hope this “Terminology Tuesday” post has been helpful and has given you some useful information.

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!