“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward

Hi welcome to December and yes the holiday season as well!

I start with a quote on gratitude because this month is a month where we really need goodwill towards all men (and women, children…everyone)!

Now, truth be known, having an attitude of gratitude helps you in so many ways and it helps you beyond this month of Christmas (or Kwanza, Hanukah or any other holiday you might observe).

So with that being said, look back on this year and assess, your victories, what you have overcome, the challenges you faced, how you have grown. Also the good things that have happened and of course what do you want to change and improve on =and of course look at where you want to be in 2018!

But, as you take stock, be in appreciation of life, of your business and your people.

Take time to have conversations with your team at work, maybe take them out for dinner, or close the office and serve lunch instead, give them a gift card or some token of your appreciation for them!

For your clients, you can donate to a charity in their honour! I love what Care does, where you can buy the nets to prevent the spread of Malaria, or a goat can help a community in nations less prosperous than ours.

The Kids Help Phone, Children’s Wish and the Daily Bread Food bank, are all non-profit foundations I love to donate to, on behalf of my clients this time of year.

You can give of your time as well this time of year to those less fortunate than you and maybe even enroll your team at work or your clients to help and assist.

You can do something cool like book a group of tickets to see a day time TV Show taping, like the Goods on CBC, or CityLine on City TV, or take 3 guests to the Rick Mercer Report (on CBC as well)…this costs nothing but some time and it is a cool way to connect with your clients or employees…

You can have a skating party at City Hall in Toronto and check out the big lights on the tree and zip around that TORONTO sign!

Make sure to send Christmas Cards out to those that matter, clients for sure, your stakeholders, banker, lawyer, accountant and your team!

You can do something really creative this time of year and on a budget too if need be.

But the bottom line is to share your appreciation for those that help you get to where you are. It is really important for your business relationships to acknowledge other’s contribution to you.

If you ensure your clients, team and stakeholders feel appreciated this month (but all year through)…I can promise you  way more success on every level!

Truth is, without gratitude, we would have no sustained growth. Short bursts of success often fire up with no gratitude attached, but they fail in time from an absence of good values at the foundation. Without gratitude, core teams fall away, culture diminishes and becomes stagnated and undesirable, innovation ceases and followers become  un-followers.

Each day is a gift. Each customer is a gift. And each new day is a chance to be grateful for all you learned or all you have yet to learn.

 

Appreciation is what keeps people coming back. So, if you don’t have repeat customers – think about how you can appreciate people more. Aside from this time of year, during the year always be sending thank you cards. Thank clients by taking them to a sporting game, a music event, social gathering, networking event. For sure book your lunch meetings for January and February now to have a strategic planning session with your key clients. This is something big you can do to get amazing results!

You can even create a frequent buyer incentive program to thank clients for doing business with you more often. Plus don’t forget to reward when people send you a referral too! You will make a big mistake by not rewarding people who send you customers!

This will be my last blog post for 2017…I wish you a success filled 2018, a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy Kwanza, or just a happy healthy holiday season, however you like to celebrate it.

I will be back in 2018 thank you for reading these.

Stay well!

David Cohen

 

 

David Cohen-Principle-The David Cohen Group:

 

 

David is an author, business coach, and facilitator and was the former host/producer and creator of the Small Business Big Ideas Show heard weekly for over 9 years. David has taught thousands over the years in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors and has coached hundreds of start-ups to make those important first steps. He specializes in helping small business owners mine their strengths, get clear on their value, their markets and then begin to develop a sales and marketing game plan that gets results.

He also can be booked to do his keynote presentations; “The 8 Keys to Success, How I got to Kiss the Stanley Cup and his new keynote called “A breakthrough-through the glass”- how to overcome the fear that life and business might throw your way. He leads workshops in sales, marketing, market research, business plans, target marketing and customer service programs. David is currently with the City of Toronto, heading up an entrepreneur training program for inner city youth and adults. He has taught thousands and coached numerous clients in the area of Small Business Start-ups and business growth strategies.