Ray Titus is CEO of United Franchise Group (UFG), a global leader for entrepreneurs with brands in over 1,800 locations in 80 countries.

Of all the gifts I’ve received at business events, two stand out. One is a sweatshirt imprinted with “Founder,” given by the organizers to clients who had started their companies. The other is a set of high-quality steak knives engraved with my name, a gift from the keynote speaker I had hired for one of our expos.

I’m sure the knives cost a lot more than the sweatshirt, but that’s not what made them meaningful. Both objects took some effort and imagination and, most importantly, made me feel special and valued.

That’s how I want our customers, partners and employees to feel when they get a gift from our company. But remembering those two special items has made me realize we must rethink our approach to how we honor our customers and employees. All business leaders who want to make a lasting impression should do the same.

Too often, gifts are little more than tokens, no matter how much money we spend on them. It’s easy to fall into the trap of sending everyone the same imported wine and cheese baskets, the same tech gadgets and office gear, all of it well made but containing nothing unique to the individual recipient. My company sends special items to our franchise owners, vendors and suppliers; they do the same for us. I worry that it all just gets lost in a sea of gifts, that all we’re doing is checking off a list of names and matching them to gifts that may or may not have anything to do with their lives.

When gifting clients and employees, it truly is the thought that counts. Here’s how to make yours matter:

Work on your timing.

Every November and December, companies engage in a blitz of giving to business contacts, charities and nonprofit organizations. Yours could easily be forgotten in the pile.

And when you just do it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s an obligatory feel to it. We have to send our clients something at Christmas, so let’s open up a corporate gift catalog and pick something impressive. It’s the surprise of the unexpected gift that’s the real value, but it gets lost when everybody is doing the same thing at the same time.

I love the idea John Ruhlin offers in his book, Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention. Give in times when people don’t expect it, he writes, and you’ll immediately stand out.

This year, I think our company may change our main gift-giving to summertime, perhaps the Fourth of July, or in October, just before everyone else starts sending their gifts of appreciation. You could even make up your own holiday at some time of the year not usually known for this.

That’s not to say you can’t still give during the traditional holidays, if it’s in your budget. Be sure to at least send a heartfelt card at the end of the year if you’ve moved the gift to another time.

Make it memorable.

Ruhlin also points out the importance of giving a memorable gift, one that shows how much they matter to you. It’s a critical part of building a relationship.

Our company recognizes franchise owners who reach $1 million in revenue. They are the highest-achieving franchise owners, and they’ve hit high volumes, so we want to recognize them. It’s an amazing honor to be named to this group, it’s a recognition of their success and the hard work it took from them to achieve it. To celebrate, we coordinate a special trip so they know we value their contributions.

That’s what makes my “Founder” sweatshirt so meaningful to me. It takes hard work, ingenuity and a lot of hard work to become a founder, and the sweatshirt recognized that.

What’s special about your customers and employees? What have they accomplished that sets them apart from their competition? What value do they add to your business? Have they mentioned a hobby or favorite interests? The answers can help lead you to the perfect gift.

Make the gift personal—not about their business. You’re looking for something they will find useful to their life, not their business, something that shows you know and appreciate them.

Give more, get more.

It comes down to simple generosity and the time-tested fact that in order to get something, you have to give something. That goes with everything in life, and it’s one of the values I explore in my book, The Challenge: Become a Better Person.

A good example of getting by giving is mentoring. Mentors teach, but we also learn from our proteges. And then we can pass along those lessons to others in our lives as well.

I’ve learned that if I can get someone to be a better employee, parent or spouse or whatever, their life will be better. Positivity is what drives every relationship. The ability to stay positive in difficult situations may be your greatest gift to yourself.

So, as the year begins, we should all take a serious look at our gift-giving practices and how we can make them more thoughtful and meaningful.

This article was originally published by Forbes