It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it: get consumers to open their wallets and make a purchase. No doubt it's especially tough these days when we don't know from one week to the next which way the economy is headed. The good news is that we all have an “inner customer” to help us to tackle this particular tough job. Sure, we may be retailers, vendors, reps, (editors), but we're also consumers. Unfortunately, we often forget our consumer side when trying to make a sale.

Next time you are in the midst of a hard sell, try looking inward. Ask your inner customer: “What would it take to get me to fork over my hard-earned cash when I'm worried about the price of a tank of gas?”

To start getting in touch with our inner customers, we asked colleagues of both genders: In the current economic climate, if you were buying someone a gift because it was a “must,” what factors would be absolutely required before you'd open your wallet and make the purchase?

Cost and value aside, (which, of course, were the number one and two factors, respectively), our colleagues overwhelmingly said a gift had to be unique and not in large supply —no cookie-cutter gifts or knockoffs (see p. 24) for this group. That's good news for independents. They also said that in tough economic times, they're more likely to “shop around” and compare prices. And considering the price of fuel, the shopping around will probably be on the Internet.

Colleagues also said a gift must reflect the recipient as well as the giver, and especially take the recipient's personality and lifestyle into consideration; and preferably be useful. Additionally, a gift must not “date” itself: “I don't want it to be 'so 2008,' that in 2009 it looks dated,” commented an editor. The question of self-gifting in tough economic times was also presented: What would it take for you to buy a non-essential gift for yourself? Here's where the penny pinching really came into play. One colleague actually said there was nothing that could get her to buy herself a gift: “I would not buy a non-essential gift for myself even if it was on sale for only $1.” That's one tough customer!

Fortunately, even in the current fiscal climate, self-gifting, while not thriving, is still alive, with the strongest pull being an item that is rare. One colleague said that the gifts he's bought for himself are usually bought “because I thought I wouldn't have the opportunity to buy it again anywhere else.”

What does your inner customer think?