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Carma Spence-Pothitt

Expert Guru
Carma Spence-Pothitt began her foray in the world of gift-giving at the tender age of 9. That year her parents didn't have as much time to wrap the Christmas gifts and so enlisted their daughter to help. She even ended up wrapping her own gifts (covered up to protect the surprise for Christmas Eve, of course). She had so much fun, she took on the task from that year on. Later, she got a winter holiday job in the gift wrap department at J.C. Penney and learned how to wrap gifts with “invisible” seems. She started a gift basket business in 2000, but soon learned she enjoyed the creating of gifts much more than the selling of gifts. Since then she’s been developing the concept of a gift-consulting business, CSP Gift Consulting, and will be launching it sometime in 2007.




6 Tips from Carma Spence-Pothitt

Make and ordinary gift extraordinary: Create your own gift basket.

You can really spruce up an ordinary gift by creating a thematic gift basket around at main gift. For example, lets say you're giving someone a DVD. Go to you local dollar store and pick up a few items that relate to that movie in some way, or get a popcorn bucket and some movie candy like Thin Mints and Sugar Daddies. Place the DVD and the items in a basket (or the popcorn bucket), add some colorful shred, wrap in cellophane and ta da! You've got a unique and special gift basket.

Set Up a Follow Up Schedule and Increase the Number of Interviews You Get

So few people follow up on the applications they send in that you will stand out if you do. I usually follow up twice after an initial contact, preferably using a different media than I used for the application. For example, if I applied online, a week later I'll send a letter to follow up via U.S.P.S. A couple weeks later, I'll follow up again via email. I've landed interviews I wouldn't have gotten otherwise because of my persistence.

Remember the Rule of Three

The human brain is programmed to remember things most readily in 3s, 5s and, at most 7s. Therefore, when making a point in your speech, try to describe it with an odd number of descriptors. Three is always your best bet, it will be remembered far better than two or four points.

Always Think of Your Audience

When writing a press release, think of who will be reading it. You want it to have content that is relevant and useful to your ultimate audience -- your customers. And, with online press releases this is of extreme importance. But, if you need a journalist to pick up your story, you will need to include information that illustrates what's in it for them to write about your products and services, why they should write about you and not your competitor.

Who Is Your Collection for?

There are two reasons to collect stamps: as an investment and for the pure joy of it. If your reason is primarily the latter, then make your collection something you will enjoy looking at. Create your own binders with stamps arranged on the pages in pleasing patterns, rather than boring rows and columns. Be creative, treat your stamp collection like an international scrap book.

Put a Time Limit on Your Question for More Accurate Results

A Tarot reading can only suggest what may happen if you keep the path you are currently on. Therefore, the farther in the future it looks, the less accurate it is likely to be. So, when phrasing your questions, put a time limit on it. For example, add "within the next three months" to the end.