Ruhlin’s feeling saucy today.

And I just saddled up my high-horse.

You’ve been warned. 

Pathetic stat #1 courtesy of Newsweek:

Clothing returns account for 62% of all holiday returns.
The most common reason is wives returning clothing (their husbands bought them) that is the wrong size. 

Why, Heavens to Betsy!

Gentlemen, have we really gotten so lazy that we don’t know how to figure out the difference between small, medium, and large?

Between 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18?

Of course some wives will tell you they don’t mind because “I can exchange it.”

And hey, maybe they don’t mind (or maybe they’re masking their disappointment at your low effort gifting game).

But if your LIFE depended on it… or at least the joy of your marriage… couldn’t you figure out the right size? 

I can guarantee that when she tries on that fitted shirt, designer coat, expensive pair-of-yoga-pants, sandles, slippers, or piece-of-jewelry…

…that if it fits perfectly, she’ll casually ask the all-important-question:

“How did you know what size to get?”

And when you give an answer that shows you actually put in a teensy bit of effort?

She’ll be absolutely delighted.

In fact, it might mean more to her than the gift.

Effort translates to “he cares about me.”

• Sidenote 1: the ladies reading this email are nodding their heads right now.
• Sidenote 2: the same butterflies-in-the-stomach applies to your business VIPs, not just your spouse. 

Hubbies-the-world-over, reverse the scenario.

Imagine if she bought you a pair of running shoes that was two sizes too small. (“Sorry! Must have confused you with my ex!”)

Or she bought you a pair of compression shorts or boxers and they were two size too BIG. (“Sorry! Must have confused you with my ex!”)

Ummm… (snicker)… OUCH.

Giving great gifts means doing your homework.

If you’re buying a sizable gift, do fifteen minutes of snooping to figure out what size you should get.

Go through her stuff when she’s out of the house.

Or when she’s sleeping.

Or ask her sister or SOMETHING.

Sizes across different brands can vary, I get it.

But there is no excuse to NOT make an effort to buy your recipient the perfectly sized, customized, personalized, gift.

(Broken record: same rule applies to your VIP recipients.) 

Annoying stat #2 courtest of The Huffington Post:

Re-gifting is an acceptable practice for 83% of Americans 

Not long ago, “re-gifting” wasn’t even a word in the American lexicon.

But people’s gifts got so weak-sauce that re-gifting became a thing: 

“I don’t like it, don’t want it, can’t use it, can’t return it… but don’t want to throw it away because it’s new.”

“Maybe somebody else will want it! I think I’ll stash it for the next baby shower, wedding shower, whatever shower!”

“Sure, it’s not good enough for me… but if I ever DO use it one day, this will save me money!” 

Hmm. Hoarders have the same mentality. Juuuust sayin’.

You probably know someone that has closet space dedicated to re-gifts.

Let me be clear about something:

A Gift·ologist NEVER re-gifts.

Re-gifting is the laziest form of TO DO list box checking.

If you have stuff in your possession you’re not going to use, fine, give it away.

“Hey. Someone gave me this. I don’t need it. Would you use it?”

But don’t wrap it up and present it as something that you bought ‘for this special occasion.’

Better to show up with a kindly worded Hallmark card.

(Even if you didn’t write anything in it. lol.)

At least THAT is somewhat authentic. 

“But John,” one of you are thinking, before replying and sending me a strongly worded email.

“I would NEVER re-gift for my VIPs or my business clients, colleagues, whatever!”

(You sure about that?)

(Do you have a stack of books in your office that you *might* giveaway one day at the right time?) 

[frown face]

If not for everything WE (you, me, us) were doing together, Gift·ologists would become an endangered species.

[climbs down from high horse] 

Depressing, right?

I realize that these stats come out of the personal gifting realm.

Here’s a revelation that one of our core course students had recently: (paraphrasing his lightbulb moment)

“Being a Gift·ologist isn’t a ‘business only’ thing. It’s made me a better husband and a much cooler dad.”

AMEN!

Gift·ology isn’t a part time job. It’s not a full time job. It’s a lifestyle skillset.

Which would lead me to a THIRD and final stat for this email:

100% of legit Gift·ologists spend as much time, energy, thought, and effort gifting their PERSONAL VIPs as their BUSINESS VIPs.

(That one is a little less depressing than the other two stats). 

In fact, I hope that one of the by-products of reading GIFT·OLOGY, taking a course of ours, watching a speech, whatever…

…is that you think differently when gifting for your spouse, fam, friends, and kiddos.

Because aren’t THEY our most important VIPs? 

Ok, Ruhlin’s *finally* done ranting.

And done talking about himself in the third person. 

If you don’t own it yet, buy (don’t hoard) a copy of GIFT·OLOGY.

Your business and your loved ones will benefit.

And maybe — in leading by example — we can turn Gift·ologists into a worldwide thriving species once again.