8 Crucial Questions To Find The Perfect Gift Every Time
This post contains affiliate links. This means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. Read the full disclosure here.
Finding the perfect gift for someone is an art, not a science. There are no hard and fast rules by which to abide, but there are certainly some guidelines that will help you in your quest.
Think about the person you’re trying to buy for: what kind of care and attention do they put into their appearance? Are they focused on improving an aspect of themselves or their life? What activities do they enjoy most? And then, once you’ve got an idea of who your recipient is as a person—their interests, passions, and hobbies—you can start browsing through our curated collection of beautiful gifts that will be sure to put a smile on their face when they open them up.
Table of Contents
What do they really want right now, not what they think they want?
Sometimes, the best gifts are ones that surprise people.
You know your friends and family well enough to know what they want, but sometimes you can get so caught up in wanting them to have something that you forget that they may not actually want it. It’s important to remember that your loved ones are individuals with their own desires and needs.
For example, if someone has never expressed any interest in a particular item, it would be unwise to think they’ll love receiving it as a gift simply because you do.
On the other hand, sometimes people express an interest in something when they really just mean “I’d rather have this than nothing at all.” They may not be thinking about how much work or money would go into getting them what they say they want—they’re just hoping for something good! In these cases, don’t let their words cloud your judgment of what will make them happiest.
When is their birthday?
It’s easy to forget birthdays, but your loved ones deserve a special gift on their special day. Your friends and family will be more than happy to receive a personalized gift that shows you were thinking of them. Plus, they’ll appreciate the effort you put into finding something they’ll love—and it may even help them remember your name next year!
If you know when someone’s birthday is, then consider buying them something that represents their personality or interests. If someone loves music and plays guitar or drums, get them some new equipment for their instrument of choice as a birthday present.
If someone likes sports and goes running every morning at 5 am before work, get them some new running shoes so they can keep up with their routine (and stay injury free).
What activities do they enjoy most?
Asking a question like this can help you find the perfect gift for someone who enjoys activities. The answer will be different for everyone, but it’s a good starting point when you’re trying to figure out what’s on their mind.
For example, if they love basketball and play it regularly, then buying them tickets to a game would be the right choice. But if they’re more into playing video games than going outside and playing sports, then maybe they’d rather get that new console or gaming mouse instead!
Additionally, asking about their favorite activities can help you determine whether or not a particular item is expensive enough for them (and how much money you want/can spend). If it’s not expensive enough—or if what they really want is something else entirely—then maybe consider getting them another kind of present instead! Some other factors include:
- Time spent doing activity x vs y vs z
- Frequency of doing activity x vs y vs z
What’s something they’ve been talking about lately?
You’ve got the perfect gift in mind, but it’s not quite right. You know they want it, but they might not have bought it yet.
You could ask them what they’re looking for or if they’ve already bought the thing you think is perfect! But then what if they say no?
A better strategy is to ask yourself: What have I noticed that person talking about lately?
Are they focused on improving an aspect of themselves or their life?
If someone is focused on improving an aspect of themselves or their life, then you can find a gift that supports that focus. The key is to get them something that will help them achieve the goal they’re working toward.
For example, if someone is focusing on improving their health, you could buy them a fitness tracker like the Fitbit Versa or Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music. These are both activity trackers with a heart rate monitor and GPS built-in. They allow users to set goals for themselves based on how many steps they want to take each day and how many calories they want to burn during those steps.
If you know your loved one wants more energy or improved sleep quality but hasn’t found anything yet that works well with their lifestyle then this may be perfect!
What kind of care and attention do they put into their appearance?
It’s important to give thought to the way you dress and care for yourself, and it can be a good indicator of how well someone takes care of their appearance.
If your loved one likes wearing high-quality shoes, handbags, jewelry, and makeup, chances are they also take pride in their home. They may enjoy having nice things in their kitchen or entertainment room as well as clothing items that they wear out on special occasions.
In this case, it might be worth thinking about buying them something like a set of cookware or an expensive watch that they would appreciate owning but wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves.
How do they relax at the end of a long day?
Think about what your friend or family member is like when they’re unwinding and their guard is down.
Are they relaxed and calm, or are they more energetic? Do they need a little downtime alone in their room with their favorite television show playing in the background, or would they rather be out having fun with friends or family members? Are there certain things that relax them more than others (such as reading a good book), or does it really depend on the day of the week (like maybe Tuesday nights are for watching TV).
Whatever answers you come up with will help you figure out what kind of gift will be best for your loved one—but don’t forget to take into account any other factors, too!
For example, if one of your friends loves going on walks but lives in an apartment building without much access to nature (or even if their neighborhood isn’t particularly scenic), you might want to consider getting them something else instead.
This way everyone is happy!
Is there something that would make everyday tasks easier for them?
- A new pair of sneakers: If someone you know has a job that requires a lot of walking, you could do them a huge favor by getting their feet some new shoes. Just make sure they tell you the exact size(s), because people’s feet can vary a lot in width and length.
- A travel mug: There are plenty of great travel mugs on the market these days, from simple ones with just one lid to models that have multiple parts like lids that can double as handles and/or straws for drinking on the go.
- An umbrella: Nowadays there are umbrellas for every occasion—it’s hard to go wrong here!
Finding the perfect gift is about knowing your audience.
- Know your audience. The best gifts are ones that the recipient will truly appreciate and use. If you don’t know your audience, it’s easy to make a gift that they won’t really want or need—and then they’ll feel bad about not using it, or worse, they’ll regift it to someone else! But if you know them well enough (or at least think you do), then there’s no need for guesswork. You can find something thoughtful and useful for them either way.
- Know their interests and personality traits. It’s important to consider what kinds of things your friend likes doing in their free time when coming up with gift ideas; this will help guide which type of gift would be most useful for them: Does your friend like reading? Cooking? Going on adventures? Knitting sweaters? Playing sports games? If so, then there are plenty of ways that these pastimes can inform what kind of presents might fit into those categories best without being too generic or impersonal—so long as those hobbies aren’t too niche-y (for example: maybe not giving someone who loves knitting sweaters).
- Know their lifestyle preferences/needs/desires etcetera…
Final Thoughts
Gifts are a great way to show someone that you care about them, but it’s important to not just guess what a person wants. If you ask them about their interests and passions, you can find something that fits into their lifestyle. This will make them feel special because they know you really listened!