It’s hard to say whether they raised the topic and were met with resistance, or whether they didn’t want to spoil the surprise by discussing it in advance, but the outcome is the same either way.

I know a lot of organizers who have moved for one reason or another (not always known far in advance) or who have decided to specialize in a certain area or discontinue a service they really don’t enjoy, and those decisions are often made fairly quickly, once the business reaches a level where they can comfortably do that. Probably not the most likely thing to happen, but another possibility that should be considered.

This may explain why I’ve never actually “sold” a gift certificate yet….too complicated!

(a) avoids the potential pitfalls mentioned in my post and previous comments;

(b) increases the likelihood that when a gift certificate is purchased, the recipient is ready to get organized and that they are someone you’re prepared to work with;

(c) provides an opportunity for you to educate someone about what you do, whether it leads to a sale or not. (If not, it might open up other doors in the future!)

Thank you both for contributing to the discussion.

These are all issues I’ve come across and I’m sure all PO’s come across repeatedly. I’m fairly new to the PO business (three years) and to offering gift certificates so I’m still working out my own “best practices”. My experience so far, however, has been similar to what Julie described, usually involving a phone or email conversation with the giver, during which we talk about the situation, what they had in mind, and whether the intended recipient is ready to get organized or not. Almost always, we come to the conclusion together that an organizing g.c. probably isn’t the best way to get started. Even with the best intentions, a g.c. can create or exacerbate feelings of guilt and shame, and that’s the last thing we want to do!

I’ve not yet had a donated gift certificate be redeemed. I did donate a certificate for an organizational plan to a silent auction this holiday season. It was purchased and I’m in the process of scheduling the work with the client. This was a person buying something for themselves, so I think it will work out well.

There’s so much desire to help, and most of us have a family member or friend (or several!) who needs some help. Partly because of shows like Hoarders that raise awareness of the problems clutter causes, more people than ever feel a great sense of urgency to “get help” for their loved ones and to not let things get really bad. I’m glad to be a resource to turn to for advice, and I always try to keep everyone’s best interests in mind, even though that often means turning away work (but not really, because in all probability it wouldn’t have worked out well anyway).

So, I think we have to keep all these things in mind when advertising gift certificates, knowing that most of the response will result in us giving away advice rather than booking clients. But occasionally it does work out, and that’s a win-win for everyone!

I discourage surprise gifts of this type, and hate the idea (as Allison mentioned) of having money not yet earned–an imbalance in my favor is just as uncomfortable as one not in my favor. I’d rather the gift giver overcome the desire for a surprise, tell their intended recipient what they have in mind, share my web site (and some articles) and arrange for the recipient to speak with me. Then, if everyone’s still up for it (I think I’m the right fit for the client, the client is actually motivated and committed, the giver still wishes to give the gift), we can move forward.

As noted, there are distinct exceptions: when someone is already a client, and when someone has requested help. I used to be in favor of charitable auction gift certificates, but find they tend not to be valued by the recipients or particularly well-understood.

I’d chalk it up to something to offer…with copious caveats.