A little forethought can pay big dividends. The best way is to keep track of a client's or a prospect's likes and dislikes over the course of your relationship. It might be a bit crass to ask about shoe size or other body measurements, but you can certainly find out about hobbies, schools attended and other likes and dislikes or even birthdays, in the course of regular conversations.

Make sure you record these nuggets of information because they will come in handy months later. If people express pride or attachment to their schools, something with the college logo would always be appreciated and can easily be obtained from the school bookstore on the phone or online.