#71 Oh, Honey, you shouldn’t have!

Oh, Honey, you shouldn’t have!

Are you someone who loves choosing gifts, or does the thought of picking out gifts fill you with dread?

According to Professor Jeff Galak, much of what we think about gift-giving is wrong.  As described in this podcast, research shows that there is often a mismatch between what the giver prioritizes and what the recipient prefers. 

Givers tend to focus on the moment the recipient opens the gift – they care about the “wow” factor and mistakenly believe the gift will only be valued if its unexpected.  They avoid giving the same gift again, even if the recipient loved it the first time.

Recipients, on the other hand, care more about whether they will actually use the gift and enjoy it in the future.

While sentimental gifts (like photobooks) and experience gifts (like event tickets) tend to be winners, Galak has one top recommendation: “Just ask. You’re almost always better off.”