When it comes time to buy presents for the people that we love and care about, some people tend to freeze up under the pressure. Suddenly they start drawing a blank when they try to think of what that person would enjoy getting as a gift. If this has happened to you, try taking some time to really understand what your friend is interested in.
It is a simple fact that most people enjoy talking about themselves and what is going on in their lives. It is also a fact that sometimes when we are having a conversation with another person, we are not even listening to what they are saying. Instead, we are thinking of the next thing we want to say. When I recently was stuck for an idea for what to get my brother, I decided to make an effort to really encourage him to talk about himself without being obvious. I also decided that I would do my best to pay attention to what he said. A funny thing happened, as I listened, he all but fired of a list of gift ideas for me to follow up on. He had no idea that he was doing it. He was just going on and on talking about his first experience with eating sushi with his wife! What he did for me was point me toward the idea of a homemade sushi kit that I am almost certain he will be thrilled to receive when we visit again on Christmas.
There is also an added benefit to trying this little experiment in listening. The person you are listening to will probably think that you are a brilliant conversationalist. We spend so much time firing stories at one another that when somebody actually encourages us to speak instead of one-upping us, we usually think that THEY have been blessed with the gift of gab. Give it a try. Your friends will think you have suddenly become brilliant and you will walk away with a bunch of great gift ideas.