Friday
Apr232010
In Praise of Presents: Why Merchandise Trumps Cash
April 23, 2010 at 1:20 PMRemember when you were a kid and feeling that indescribable rush right before tearing into a colorfully wrapped present? As adults, we still feel the same surge of anticipation when given a gift. (And why not? We’re just grown up children, after all.) In the business world, the feeling may be suppressed in the name of “professionalism,” but that makes the unexpected, thoughtful gift even more appreciated, and the act of giving a gift more powerful. When it comes to motivating colleagues or showing gratitude, these exhilarating feelings, physiologically real adrenaline rushes, simply cannot be inspired by cash, and there’s research to prove it.