Chocolate. In defense of the perfect gift.

Chemically speaking, chocolate is one of the perfect foods. This leads to an interesting story hailing back to before my promotional products stint. I started a small business managing small businesses. I was in charge of all things office related, including coming up with yearly customer gifts. A role I eagerly looked forward to and one where I believed I possessed a great skill for.

The truth is, it was not that difficult a task for me at all. At the time, I lived around the corner from an unbelievable chocolatier named Jacques Torres. People got trapped on the sidewalk in front of the storefront. Staring into the large windows, confectioners stirred large vats of silken goodness, I could smell the power they call chocolate. Here they assembled larger than life easter bunnies and carved solid chocolate hearts, so big, they could never hope to fit on the back of Mario Batali’s Vespa.

Maybe the perfect 'token of appreciation' for your clients is just around the corner from you

My clients grew more and more impressed at my yearly gift pairings. These small golden boxes, wrapped with thick, colorful bows, worked their magic every time. The phone rang and thank you notes piled up on my bosses desks from delighted customers. A perfect time for them to reconnect with their clients. My skill as a corporate gift matchmaker was sealed. Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love.

Maybe the perfect ‘token of appreciation’ for your clients is just around the corner from you! You just need to look around. And more importantly I do hope you are investing in the ‘pillars of client delight’ to become a juggernaut in your market! To get you started, here are some great chocolate gift ideas.