1. Simple Yet Effective Personal/ Family/ Work Goals For 2006 - Motivation and business success

2. Building Relationships 2006 - Business success

3. Adding Value - Business success

1. Simple yet effective personal, family & work goals for 2006

Personal
I'm writing this not 2 hours after getting the all clear from a mammogram recall office visit. Thank goodness it was just a cyst. Don't wait for a personal medical crisis to remind you how important taking care of yourself and your loved ones is. Here are a few seemingly easy - but incredibly effective goals for you.

Act like a celebrity and drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
If you read the mags you'll have noticed all the movie stars cite drinking water as their number one health and weight loss secret. Enough said.

Buy a pedometer and clock up at least 8,000 steps a day.
The normal goal is 10, 000 but for an office worker that's hard. A pedometer is a superb holiday gift idea by the way. It's too easy to remain glued to that computer screen all day long!

Family
People have different ways of showing love. Some like to give little presents. Some like to do things for others. Some are demonstrative. Pay attention to those in your life and see how they show you love because that is how they want their love to be reciprocated. Your goal, keep a watchful eye out and then do unto your loved ones as they do unto you. You'll make them very happy!!!!

Work
I sound like a broken record but my very top recommendation is to have a good information rich customer and prospect database. This is your skeleton, the framework for you to derive more income and to increase your customer satisfaction. The communications to your database are the flesh and blood.

2. Building Relationships 2006

Value your important customers and harness repeat business with rewards (if appropriate). Think of items that have a natural alliance and longevity. If you buy in bulk - see if you can get discounts.

Natural alliances
Last week in the studio with Simon Dallow recording my Monday Motivational Mayo segment, I met the editor of NZ Home and Garden magazine Michal McKay. She spoke about gift subscriptions on air. As she was leaving I said "You know Mikal, wouldn't it be a great idea if real estate agents give a one year gift subscription to the clients they have sold a home to? it's a small investment for the thousands of dollars they earn each time they deal with that person or get referred."

Did her face light up! She said she was running back to the office to discuss this with her sales managers.

What about you? Magazine subscriptions are a great idea. Books too.

• Trade publications (building,architectural, plumbing, electrical...
• Work/job related - marketing, management
• Personal interest - fitness, sailing, gardening, investing
• Are there any books that touched you?

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3. Adding Value - Business success

How can you add value (without discounting)? How do you differentiate yourself from the hordes?

1. Informative newsletters and communications (NO! Not gorilla thumping me! Me! Me's!!!!)
2. Articles of interest (remember the personalised word and email merge in Office 2000 +)
3. Extra services added on complimentarily. Here's an example of how I'm doing this for 2006- For all my speaking engagements I'm offering a complimentary 'partner programme' session. After all your know this lady with six kids including twins and triplets must have some funny stories, anecdotes and helpful hints on managing family and work!! What can you add on?
4. Regular 'how are you doing' phone calls, visits, letters (perhaps quarterly.)
5. Follow up on their purchase, use and satisfaction of your services, products.........