In the holiday season, many of us find ourselves scrambling to find the perfect gift for a loved one or a friend. With very few people planning ahead for their gifts, last minute shopping becomes a necessity which in turn leads to stress and complications when you need a gift the most.
But what if you didn’t have to even worry about finding a gift? What if there was someone who was able to do that for you? This is where Jessica Quaid comes in. Jessica specializes in gifts and is ready to help out both businesses and individuals with their needs whether it is the holiday season or another occasion.
“The Gift Matchmaker is a gift consulting company, specializing in working with both individuals to find the perfect gift (for all occasions), as well as client-based businesses/nonprofits in creating ongoing gifting strategies to show client and donor appreciation, which in turn helps their ROI (return on investment) with retention and referrals,” Jessica explains.
Jessica wasn’t always in this industry though. Her journey starts off like many others with jobs in the service, hospitality, and retail industries. However, it was during her journey in the financial planning industry that allowed her to hone her talents in the gift matching industry.
“I worked in the Financial Planning industry for the past 8 years. I held multiple roles in client service, marketing, and operations throughout the years. During my time there I grew so much and learned from some of the best. I was introduced to a book called Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention. That book changed my whole perspective on gifting. At first in my personal life, but when our firm decided to implement a marketing strategy that had client appreciation as a tactic, it became my way of thinking. I was responsible for implementing the marketing plan over the years and managing all aspects. The client gifting strategy became my baby,” Jessica says.
Jessica has been a major trailblazer in this industry. For her, there is only the competition of doing better than she did in a previous year. However, what differentiates her from your average gift giving is the personalization that she uses to make each and every gift and client feel especially made for that person.
“I am passionate and confident about what I do and the skills I have obtained throughout my years of working with people and in marketing. I also would say from the companies that are similar, they sell products or give the same gift ideas to everyone. Mine is customized to the individual or business needs to put the client first and give them a lasting gift that keeps on giving.
Instead of sending branded content with our logo, we started sending personalized gifts. Rather than gifts on major holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, we started gifting for National holidays and random times of year. It became my niche and I realized it was a natural calling,” Jessica remarks.
Jessica is stressing to all of those who wish to get into the business world to look for their niche just as she did in her life. Once they find that, there is no limit to what they can do!
“You need to find your passion and purpose. If you truly love what you do it will reflect in all aspects of your business, and life, and people will want to work with you. I would also say to have a plan. Get advice from other entrepreneurs, people in your industry, learn as much as you can from all avenues you have access to,” Jessica advises.