Wo Dekho EK Chartered Accountant Ja Raha Hai..

Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai....

Apni Profile ke bojh tale daba jaa raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai, ...

Zindagi se hara hua hai,
Par "Balance sheet Tally" karne se haar nahi manata,
Apne excel sheet ki ek ek line ise rati hui hai,
Par aaj kaun se rang ke moje pehne hain, ye nahi janata,
Din par din ek excel file banata ja raha hai
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Das hazaar line ki file main error dhoond lete hain lekin,
Majboor dost ki ankhon ki nami dikhayi nahi deti,
PC pe hazaar windows khuli hain,
Par dil ki khidki pe koi dastak sunayi nahi deti,
Satuday-sunday nahata nahi, week days ko naha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Linking karte karte pata hi nahi chala, "Excel" ki priority kab maa-baap se high ho gayi,
Kitabon main gulab rakhne wala , cigerette ke dhuyen main kho gaya,
Dil ki zameen se armaanon ki vidayi ho gayi,
Weekends pe daroo peke jo jashna mana raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Maze lena ho iske to pooch lo,
"Salary Increment" ki party kab dila rahe ho, Hansi udana ho to pooch lo, "Leave" pe kab ja rahe ho?
Wo dekho Leave se laute team-mate ki chocolates kha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Kharche badh rahe hain,
Baal kam ho rahe hain,
Income Tax ke sitam ho rahe hain,
Lo phir se bus choot gayi, Auto se aa raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Pizza gale se nahi utarta, To "Coke" ke sahare nigal liya jata hai,
Office ki "Thali" dekh munh hai bigadta, Maa ke hath ka wo khana baar roz yaad ata hai,
"Sprout bhel" bani hai phir bhi, free "Evening Snacks" kha raha hai,
Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai,

Aapne ab tak li hongi bahut si chutikiya,
Chartered Accountant ke jivan ka sach batati ye akhri kuch panktiyan,
Hazaron ki tankhwah wala,
company ki karodon ki jeb bharta hai,
Chartered Accountant wahi ban sakta hai, jo lohe ka jigar rakhta hai,

Hum log jee jee ke marte hain, zindagi hai kuch aisi,
Ek fauj ki naukri, doosri Chartered Accountant ki, dono ek jaisi,
Is kavita ka har shabd mere dil ki gehrayi se aa raha hai, Wo dekho ek Chartered Accountant ja raha hai ....

Love letter from an accountant!!

In the Journal of my heart,
I have written a Journal Entry,
Debiting my love & crediting my affection,
Now partner, you write the Narration.
Your beauty is the Capital of our business,
And your eyes are Stock In Trade,
Now let us enter into a Transaction,
Without providing Depreciation.
Your first love I have already indicated,
On the Ledger Folio column,
Any way, our relations are based on,
Double Entry System.
Our love is Real & Tangible,
Which can be realized,
Interest on the same,
Can be capitalized.
Partner, you are like a Contra Entry,
You are on my Debit Side & Credit Side,
Both at the same time,
Can it be posted into Ledger, that now you decide.
And so my partner now let us Rectify,
All our errors & total the Trial Balance,
Of our affairs & emotions,
Without maintaining any Suspense Account.
And any difference in the Trial Balance,
In the Balance Sheet of our life,
Our children will be Assets & Liabilities,
If they are boys, shall we call them Sundry Debtors?
If they are girls, shall we call them Sundry Creditors?
But if we have a boy & a girl,
Our Balance Sheet will Tally automatically,
And the Auditor will certify like this,
"THE ACCOUNT SHOWS A TRUE & FAIR VIEW OF LOVELY BUSINESS CONDUCTED DURING LIFE'S ACCOUNTS"

10 Changes You Would Undergo If You’re Working In A Good Company

If you stay in the same job for more than 10 years, is this loyalty or a liability? It depends on whether the company you work for is a good one or not. What do we mean when we say that you are in a good company? Here are 10 changes you should actually undergo which will make the definition clear. Loyalty would certainly pay off.

1. You accept bigger challenges.

Let us imagine giving up on hard work and challenging goals. Why would you do that? If the company culture was hostile or boring, then you would certainly avoid a challenge or move on. But the hallmark of great company culture is where employees are happy and there is an excellent atmosphere of collaboration, transparency and employee freedom. Once you realize that, you will be happy to face more challenges because it is so stimulating and rewarding.

“Better moods = better performance. Hostile or even boring working environments are not sustainable. Poor work product and attrition result.” – Jim Benson, founder of Personal kanaban

2. You are happier when representing your company.

This is a test of your loyalty and you would change your attitude about this. Look at the old scenario where you did not feel that you were really part of the organization. You were unhappy and this came across whenever you mentioned the company’s name, whether it was on social media, attending conferences or networking in general.

But since you are now working with a good company, you resonate with their values and their culture and you are more than happy to be a good ambassador. You now understand what makes a great company and this will guide you in future job searches.

3. You know that learning from failure is important.

 “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”- Bill Gates

Do you remember the dreaded question, “What was your greatest failure?” at job interviews? Better companies ask this question because they are more keenly aware that not all careers follow the same path. They are also more likely to have performance assessment, strong training programs and encourage their employees to mentor and be mentored. Now that you see failure as a valuable learning experience you are much more relaxed and enjoy being supervised, rather than dreading it.

4. You are more involved in decision making.

Can you remember working for companies where decisions were taken exclusively by the managing board of directors and filtered down to the humble employees like you? The result was that you did not care or were not even interested in deciding policy, procedures or staff performance.

A good company will encourage its workers to come forward with suggestions, ideas, ways to improve customer relations, office procedures and also policy. You automatically feel much more involved and welcome being a part of the decision making process. You feel proud when your ideas are sometimes adopted and your motivation reaches stellar levels.

5. You have changed your mindset about teamwork.

You may have believed teamwork was just an added extra which prevented you from working as an individual. You may have had your own agenda to work on, your own little projects and of course, your precious career path to follow.

Working with a good company changes all that and you know that when you offer to do some of the grunt work like everyone else on the team, it can make the difference when meeting the deadline. This is what happened to a manager of a large IT project when she drove the van delivering the computers.

In a good company, you get to work in a dream team where everyone pitches in, there is real communication and everyone works together despite their different specialties.

6. You have a clearer idea about customer service.

“Customer service is about making customers happy, and the culture is about making employees happy. So, really, we’re about trying to deliver happiness, whether it’s to customers or employees, and we apply that same philosophy to vendors as well.”- Tony Hsieh CEO Zappos

Many a company has failed because they have not managed to juggle satisfying their employees, customer service and keeping their suppliers happy. Customer service is not just about getting great goods delivered on time. It is also closely linked with the reputation the company has in the way it treats its employees when outsourcing around the world.

You now understand why Amazon bought Zappos for $1.2 billion in 2009. You also know that you are just one of the faces of your company brand and why it is so important to build trust among customers. When customers are not satisfied, the business fails.

7. You appreciate your colleagues more.

In many companies, it is so competitive that everyone is a little bit wary about sharing ideas and there is very little collaboration between departments. Combine that with office gossip when communication channels are a bit opaque and you get a very mediocre work atmosphere. You cannot escape the time wasters, the whiners and the cynics and at times, this can be suffocating.

In a good company that all changes dramatically. You have really talented people at your beck and call. They help out with resources, data and information when you need it. You do the same for them now that you have experienced, diligent and hard working colleagues.

8. You are prepared now to go the extra mile.

In many companies, you are besieged with requests for doing extra time which may or may not be compensated. When that happened, you resented it and your work life balance suffered. You may even have been hounded by management on weekends with emails and pestering phone calls.

In a good company, you are much more likely to be passionately involved in the team and the project. There is absolutely no problem with doing extra hours because you are really committed, so it pays handsome dividends in job satisfaction which many people never or rarely experience.

9. You understand your role in the company.

In a good company, the mission is very clearly stated and everyone is working towards the same goal. Not only that but everyone knows what role they play in making it all happen. You feel fully engaged and motivated. Google employees know which cog they are in organizing the world’s information.

Facebook workers know how all the various teams work in keeping the world connected. You also are proud of your company’s record in being committed to reducing its carbon footprint and making the world a better place.

10. You can see your career taking off.

The great thing about working for a good company is that work is now interesting, rewarding and motivating. You actually look forward to going to work every morning because there are projects to finish and you can see your career developing. You are pleased that your skill set is being constantly enriched, the colleagues are collaborative and there is a great team spirit in the office.

13 Struggles Your Dad Faced to Be a Good Father

Sometimes, it can be easier to appreciate your mother more than your father, especially if your mother stayed home with you during your youth. But when you look a little closer, you will see how much responsibility falls on the shoulders of your father to ensure stability in the home as well—financially, emotionally, physically and sometimes spiritually. Here are some things your dad probably went through in order to be a great father to you.

1. He put family first.

There were times when your dad didn’t feel like getting out of bed and heading to work or when he wanted to pursue his artistic dreams instead, but he had to put all of that on hold to make sure his children could attain and fulfill their dreams.

2. He had to act stupid to make his kids laugh.

Perhaps you can call it “humbling,” but he was happy to act out a bit silly to make sure his kids were happy, whether it was dressing like a clown or singing a nursery rhyme.

3. He had to buy a lot of books—kid’s books.

Buying books became necessary. Sometimes, it even went beyond that: he had to become familiar with the characters, authors and the bookseller.

4. He had to be the perfect role model.

He may not have been as good looking as Tom Hanks or a Tom Cruise, but he had to be wonderful enough for his kids to be proud of him. His kids observed his actions most of the time, and wanted to be sure he practiced what he preached; this meant he had to meet certain personal standards to be the ideal father.

5. He had to read to his children.

If you thought it stopped with buying a book, you would be amazed how much action he had to take after that. If he didn’t stick to the routine and read you Dr. Seuss, he’d have to be there to console you after the resulting nightmares and anxiety you felt from not getting your nightly reading fix.

6. He had to do some dirty work.

Even if his spouse was the one making the meals and changing the diapers or other household chores, perhaps he had to be there to deal with the major handy-work, or at least, he had to call someone he knew to be handy.

7. He had to give you a father-child sex talk.

When you reached adolescence and you needed to learn about your body and the body of the opposite gender and face awkwardness, he was there to offer you a heads-up. Although it may not have been a comfortable chat for him, it bonded you and helped you out in the long run.

8. He had to manage his emotions.

Even if he cried, he never did it in front of the family. When there were difficult and tempestuous situations, he would act as an umbrella or a shield for the family. He didn’t lose control of his temper; somehow, he had to be the man to handle the situation just right.

9. He had to be mature.

He had to put away all signs of immaturity and face what was ahead of him in his family. He had to be firm on himself and quit acting like a child. He understood the importance of being at your basketball game rather than having a drink with his friends.

10. He wanted the best for you.

He may have never had the best of things in life; things may have been rough for him as he grew older, but he never used that as an excuse not to give you the best, which you deserved.

11. He was attentive to your needs.

He would listen and wanted to understand your opinion on a subject. He didn’t ridicule you for speaking out, but he would commend you and offered a listening ear.

12. He didn’t miss your birthdays.

Nothing could be more important than for him to be there for you as you turned older. He never forgot it. And he bought you presents and offered you more responsibility as you matured.

13. He gave you the best education.

He wanted you to be able to stand confidently and have a place in society. He wanted to brag about you and say special things to his friends about you. He had to give you the best education—even if the price could be high, he didn’t mind working extra hard.

15 Reasons The Eldest Child Is Always A High-achiever

 They are all firstborn children. According to studies, if you are the first born child you have a solid chance of becoming more qualified and ambitious than your other siblings. Although many firstborn children may not agree with this notion and assertion, let us consider some reasons why the eldest child is a high achiever.

1.They are attended to the most

Before the arrival of siblings, firstborns do get most of the attention. It seems parents appreciate the arrival of firstborns and try to make an impact with them.

2. They have no one to teach them

They have to learn most of the things they know on their own. Unlike later siblings who have someone to instruct and pioneer them on the direction to go, firstborn’s do not have any one to look up to.

3. They are surrounded with stability

Firstborn children are not bamboozled with the marriage crisis that somehow later erupts when love starts to dissipate. Firstborn children arrive into the stability of their parents who are still blossoming in the excitement of love.

4. They are more disciplined

While parents tend to relax a bit after the eldest child has a sibling or two, the eldest child is more scolded and disciplined than their siblings.

5. They have no early competition

When siblings emerge, they all start vying for recognition in different ways. One could be want to be a doctor, and another a musician. However the firstborn hits an early start in pursuing his interests with no competition appearing until later.

6. They are given the most matured treatment

There is a theory that if you treat a child like an adult he or she will respond the same way. When the eldest child appears, he or she will grow accordingly to the intellectual culture of their home. Since there are no other young ones in the home, the eldest child grows in the intellectual culture that is already present in the home.

7. They are more pressured to succeed at school

According to a research eldest children face more pressure to succeed at school. This is as a result of parents having high expectations for their first children.

8. They are raised to lead

The eldest child are like surrogate parent towards his or her siblings. They fulfill parental roles towards their siblings when their parents are not around.

9. They are raised to be responsible

Most times when things go wrong and mistakes are made, they are the ones who take the blame. They are nurtured to act responsible.

10. They grow up faster

Situations make the elder child grow up faster and adapt to tough situations. They get wiser while their younger ones are pampered through the process of growth.

11. They can deal with setbacks

As they grow older, the eldest child will not always have his or her way. They face setbacks, challenges early and they have to deal with them.

12. They acknowledge hard work

They are quickly saddled with laborious or intellectual work as they grow. They become accustomed to working hard and being more resourceful.

13. They can sustain their budget

The elder child because of being responsible for not only themselves has to master the art of managing budgets and working with whatever limited resources they have.

14. They are disciplined

The discipline they receive from their parents build their focus and drives them to be more resilient and studious.

15. They are more down to earth

There were not many rooms for failures or cutting corners. The older one has to be a pacesetter to the younger. Thus they were more honest, truthful and sincere in proving to their parents that they could take charge.

13 Things You Need to Forget If You Want To Be Likable

“We shouldn’t require our politicians to be movie stars. Then again, we’re all influenced by charisma. It’s hard not to be. We all collectively fall for it.”   – Julianne Moore

The ability to be “likable” has been a long-sought after personal trait. Long before we could remember, we’ve learned that being likable gets us rewarded.

We learned that we’d get treats from our parents and adults when we made them smile, and were sent to our room if we upset others.

We learned that being part of a group meant support and affirmation, and being alone (probably) meant that there was “something wrong” with us – we were probably infected with the plague but we didn’t know – that’s why everybody shunned us.

In essence, being likable meant that we would get something we wanted – sometimes way faster and easier.

It was reward, it felt good… and it helps us get ahead

So, here thirteen ways to help you do just that:

1. Forget about Hogging Attention

People love it when they feel cared for and important. That’s why so many of us are programmed to ‘want’ attention.

The irony is that the more you try to hog attention for yourself, the more off-putting you become.

Conversely, you become more likable as you give people the time, space and attention to share who they are and what’s important to them.

Think back to a time when you’ve had some of the best conversations with some of the most remarkable and charming people in your life – weren’t they the ones who gave you the space and time to speak your mind, talk about your day and how you felt? Weren’t they also the ones who picked up on what you said and related back to it? I’m guessing that you were probably the one who did most of the talking, and they did most of the listening.

Being likable doesn’t really require lots of work, really. Sometimes, it’s as easy as reversing the role of the speaker and listener.

2. Forget about Pleasing Everybody

“I’ve learned that it’s not our job to make other people happy” – Steve Harvey, American Comedian and

Truly likable people are comfortable with who they are. They are relaxed and comfortable in their own skin, their strengths and weaknesses.

They recognize that no matter how hard they try, they will never be perfect, and they’re comfortable being vulnerable and being real.

Brene Brown, a psychologist and researcher who studied and wrote extensively on the topic of being vulnerable and authenticity, shares that learning about and being able to accept our vulnerabilities actually helps strengthen our personal identities, but also the way we relate and connect with people.

Whilst being “real” may not help you win everybody over, it will certainly help you win over the people who matter – and I, and I believe like many others, have learned through experience that being authentic and sincere is a big draw when it comes to likability as a person.

3. Forget about Where You ‘Should’ Be At and Focus on Where You Are At

The Dalai Lama once shared that people have a tendency to think about work, when they are at pleasure, and think about pleasure when they are at work.

The result is that the person finds neither satisfaction nor happiness when they are at work or at play.

Our inability to be present affects our internal balance, without which we are unable to experience peace of mind and joy.

Being constantly distracted also affects our ability to pay due attention to the people we are with, and prevents you from fully and freely expressing who you are.

Being present – being in the moment – provides you with an immense advantage when it comes to connecting and relating to people, and we will do well not to squander that opportunity.

4. Forget about How Much Money You’ve Got

The worth and dignity of a person transcends beyond the the amount of money they have in their wallet.

Yet, there are people in the world who appear to measure the worth of a person by the amount of money they have.

If you’ve seen this social experiment, you’d probably agree on who the dirt bags are – and there’s a fair chance they’re not very likeable with the average person either.

The irony of the matter is that to those who judge others based on how much money they have, they too will be judged by others (and themselves even) when they come across a richer person like them.

Truly likable people do not measure the worth of a person based on money – they relate to the common man or woman and see money as a tool to get things done.

Manny Pacquiao, anybody?

5. Forget About Hoarding . . .

Money;
Food;
Nice clothes.
Whatever.

Don’t get me wrong. Money and food are important. So are friends, family, people, moments, memories and emotions.

Some things come with a price. Others are priceless.

After fighting the best part of a decade crafting my career since my days in college, I’ve found the last four months of my life to be the most rewarding and hugely invigorating.

That’s not because I’ve finally achieved financial freedom. Far from it.

Rather, I’ve learned to invest some of my best resources by giving it all away to the people who matter.

That means, as a career speaker, sharing with a group of people, investing more time to catch up with old friends and even investing time and money to hang out with family.

While I was pleasantly surprised by how rewarding it was to actually spend more time giving away, I wasn’t surprised when I realized the effect that had on me and the people around me – I was happy, and I was able to bring that emotion to the people around me.

Moral of the story: There’s a higher chance that people like hanging around real, happy people. Don’t you?

6. Forget About Listening to Reply; Listen to Relate

“Nobody cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care”

Too often, we get so trapped in trying to respond with something clever to say, that we neglect to consider and relate to how another person is feeling

People are essentially emotional creatures, and the best way to connect with an individual, is to relate to how he/she feels.

So, instead of responding to what a person says, with what you know, it is probably more prudent to consider first how they are feeling and why they are saying what they are saying before responding.

Better still if you can draw upon a similar experience and relate to similar emotions.

I’ve personally experienced the benefit of having others open up and share more with me, simply by relating to and talking about how they feel. The amount of air time I had compared to the other party was low, but the level of connection the other party felt towards me couldn’t have been higher, and I credit to to actually listening to relate.

7. Forget About Whining (All the Time)

Nobody likes to feel lower than they are really feeling, especially if they’re already feeling pretty high.

So going to a party or gathering and dousing your negative emotions on an crowd is a huge no-no.

Sure, it’s fine if you gripe and rant a little, or update your friends on how you’re coping with the lows in your life

Yet, it’s our personal responsibility to manage our emotions and learn when it is to stop.

So if you must blow off some steam, learn to turn off the tap and redirect attention and conversation to a happier subject for discussion.

People like and are drawn to other well-balanced and mature individuals.

8. Forget about Keeping Score. . .

Keeping track of how much you’ve done for a person, or how much they owe you is not going to help you become more likable. Far from it.

Nobody likes a calculative nut, who goes the distance to make sure everything between you and him is accounted for.

No, a relationship is not an audit, it’s not a test and it doesn’t require a score.

There’ll be times when you’ll pick up the tab, and there’ll be times when they do.

Reciprocity is like a hug and a handshake – it requires both parties to reach out to each other and a deeper connection is made.

The only time you see a scoreboard is during a competition and I can assure you that both camps aren’t the best of friends when the scores are being taken.

9. Forget about being a Perfectionist

So often, we try so hard at trying to be perfect, and expecting things to be perfect that we forget that to err is human.

That’s not to say that we allow should ourselves to be slipshod, especially at our work. Far from it.

Rather, this is a reminder that, whilst we hold ourselves to highest of standards, we should cut ourselves and others some slack when mistakes are made.

Freeing ourselves up from being a perfectionist allows our moods and minds to relax and better appreciate spontaneity. We move away from facts and numbers, and more towards people and emotions – and hence connect better.

Nobody appreciates being around high-strung people.

Do you?

10. Forget about Bonding Over Your Phone

Texts, Email, Apps and Games. . .  technology has helped bring people together, yet it has also separated so many of us at the same time.

There are so many distractions placed in the power of our hands these days that good, old-fashioned conversations have begun to fade away.

Therein lies the paradox of communication and relationships; the more we try to express ourselves with the help of technology, the harder it is for us to build deeper and meaningful connections.

Relationship experts like Gary Chapman and Brene Brown share that healthy relationships require time to build, and that time (and patience) is needed for people to explore and learn more about each other – a concept I term as “building depth.”

It is my assertion that distractions, such as those from our mobile phones, promote our exploration of “breadth” in experience and less understanding in “depth” in relationships and personalities.

The good news here, however, is that a remedy is fairly simple: dedicate no-phone time during your interactions with people, and give them your full attention.

Leadership speaker, John C. Maxwell wrote that people want to know that they are “appreciated, understood and respected. . .” One cannot feel respected, appreciated and will feel far less understood if the person they’re speaking to prefers to hang out with a machine/device rather than them.

Likable people understand that, and choose to give a part of their lives – time – to people they are speaking to.

That’s a small gesture that makes a huge difference in the way you connect with people and how others perceive and receive you.

11. Forget about Passing Judgement

Forming opinions of people is a double-edged sword. Our ability to “read” people is a survival instinct which helps us identify quickly who are the people we “can” trust, and how are those we “can’t.”

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and confess that I’ve been guilty of this many times. It’s a job hazard.

Yet, recognizing that I’m prone to this, has helped me set aside my opinions of people, and have enabled me to explore and learn from and more about the people I speak to.

The ability to set aside opinions of people has helped me project a sincere curiosity in the different personalities, strengths and the unique stories behind each person.

Everybody has a unique story to tell. It is our responsibility to sieve out those stories, manage how we behave, and derive constructive lessons from it.

In the rare instances when you encounter an obnoxious brat however, it is perfectly fine to walk away.

Just be careful though, that if you find 9 out of 10 people to be dead boring or negative – the problem might probably lie with you!

12. Forget about Winning the Argument

Unless you’re taking part in a debating contest or your job actually involves trying to win an argument, it is perfectly fine NOT to win an argument an all the time.

Some would say that it’s that argument that makes life interesting, and that may be true.

However, it is also true that many people hate to be seen as “wrong”, or worse to feel that they are being “stonewalled” and “trapped” in a corner because all their arguments to escape have been sealed.

Likable people are capable of engaging others in a myriad of topics and explore various perspectives to a matter.

They are able to see the serious and funny side of different ideas, and aren’t afraid to explore perspectives that are different from their own.

That, is a form of adventure – and brings pleasure not to himself, but also to others.

So, when they converse or “argue” with others, it’s not so much about winning, but more of learning, exploring… and above all having fun.

Wouldn’t you agree? No? Sure, whatever you say; you win.

13. Forget about Trying to Get Something In Return

I know I promised that we’d be able to get what we want if we were likable.

Yet, the paradox to this is to actually expect something in return.

When it comes to being likable, people want to know that they are important.

We have all been primed to beware of the stranger who comes up to us and offer us candy when we were a child – we know that something’s not right, and we’ll have our defenses up.

To be nice to somebody just because you want something from them is a form of treason, because it suggests that you merely see the relationship with them as a transaction.

It’s superficial, it’s easy, and it’s cheap.

Likable people see relationships differently. They care genuinely for others, many times giving freely to others and expecting nothing in return.

That’s not to say that they enjoy being taken for granted, no.

Rather, they enjoy giving and blessing others with what they have, within their means, and come out all the richer for it.

I’ve learned, that when people like these do require help, they receive much more in return, not merely because they’ve asked for it, but because others feel genuinely inclined to reciprocate.

Conclusion

Through my research, work and experience, I’ve come to believe that building deep meaningful connections and relationships is probably one of the most sought after yet most underrated skills and abilities of our time.

That ability to be likable, not only helps us in our work, but also nourishes our relationships with people.

As an entrepreneur and educator who started his career at the age of 20, ten years ago, I’ve used some of these techniques to great effect. They have helped to accelerate my career and personal achievements – which is why I believe they too can work for you.

Now as we go about our work and life, I sincerely hope that they too work as well for you as they have for me over the last ten years.

It is my hope as well, that as you connect with more people and open more opportunities, that you too can hone, share and spread your gifts with those who need it.

At the end of the day, you don’t have to be likable to get ahead, but it certainly won’t hurt if you are.

10 Effective Ways to Retain Your Customers

If you work in a job where you are responsible for sales, or if you own your own business, retaining your customers is one of the most important things. With all the technology we have, it is more important nowadays than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Why?

Because in today’s “Internet world,” your best customer is just one click away from your competition.

Building a good relationship with your existing customers can make a great difference in the growth of any business. The well-known fact is that it is 10 times cheaper to retain your customers than to find new ones. So it is well worth doing something about it.

To start with, forget about all those complicated techniques and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) techniques.

By far the best way to retain your customers is to think of them like of your spouse or your friends.Do you remember what have you done to your spouse in order to win her or his heart? If you do, then you are your way to retaining your customers for life.

1. Give your customers extra value

When dating, remember how willing you are to do just anything imaginable on this planet to improve your partner’s life? You take extra care, just to make sure your partner was happy.

Think of improving your customer’s life by adding some extra value.

One of the great ways to add extra value to your customers and which won’t cost you a fortune is to give them useful, free information which can drastically improve their lives. This could be done in the form of a free e-book or a free video bootcamp. For example, if you sell heating devices, write a free e-book on how to save money on central heating, or if you are an internet marketer create a free video bootcamp on how to improve a list building strategy.

2. Remember anniversaries

Your spouse remembers your anniversary, so you better remember it too (if you don’t want to risk some serious talks).

Your customers also have their anniversaries or special days.

The best surprise you can make is sending a message or a postcard to your customer for his or her birthday. If you don’t have this data, then you can send a nice message thanking them for their purchase or business on the anniversary of the first time they did business with you.

3. Surprise your customer

Life can be dull if there are no surprises, when everything is predictable.

Remember how happy your spouse was when you brought a bouquet of flowers home on a regular working day, with no particular reason? Or, what a surprise you made when you prepared an exceptionally nice dinner with all these candles on the table for your friends?

To retain your customers don’t think of them just when you are preparing your new offer. Call them sometimes just to say hello and ask them how life is going. And don’t talk about your product or service. They will definitely remember your call and they will buy from you again because they will feel somebody is taking care of them.

If you have a large database of customers, send them a personal message just to remind them you are thinking of them. Some life quotes work nicely, especially if you add a personal comment.

4. Try to be less formal, more personable

Of course, some businesses have to be formal to be credible. But even behind a very formal business, there are still people. So why not finish your next letter with “Have a sunny day” instead of a well worn-out “Best regards”?

5. Find out something you have in common

Find out at least one thing you have in common with your customer on a personal level. It could be that you both have a dog. Dog owners always make a strong connection with each other. There is always so much to say about dogs. It could be a hobby, a preferred dish, whatever as long as you both enjoy doing or having it.

Finding something personal you have in common with your customer could be a big winner and also a very enjoyable way to retain your customers.

6. Speak on a personal level

People are striving for a personal touch. They are tired of the corporate, lifeless attitude.

Telling your customers about some of your personal experiences can make a big difference. It could be just telling them how you spend your weekend with your family on a trip to the mountains or how your kids were competing in a dance tournament.

Things are changing even in big corporations. A few months ago Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, openly confessed he is a gay. What happened after that?

Financial Times selected him for Person of the Year–not just because of his great work at Apple but also because of his open-minded speaking of his personal life and not fearing rejection.

7. Be straightforward

To be straightforward is a  delicate thing but it could win your customer’s heart.

Just remember times when you have told your spouse exactly what you thought and it happened to be just the opposite of her opinion. Okay, it didn’t always work very well but then again she might appreciate you more for your honesty.

Sometimes taking this kind of risk pays off when you want to retain your customers.

Let’s say you have a fashion boutique and a customer wants a skirt you, as a professional, think doesn’t fit her. Tell your customer what you think in a polite way and your customer will probably appreciate your honest opinion. You could follow up with a suggestion for a different skirt that you think would look great on her.

Forget the old saying, “Customer is king”. Nowadays you will do better if you think, “Customer is friend”. And if you are a real friend, when necessary, you say things as they are.

8. Ask your customers what they think of your service or product

To successfully retain your customers, you must constantly improve your service or product. Ask your customers how they would rate your service or product from 1 to 10. They will appreciate it because they will feel you take seriously their opinion.

You can even send out comment cards or email your customers for anonymous feedback. There are great online services that will help you track your customer’s responses and get the feedback you need to improve. Don’t stop improving.

9. Give your customers bonuses

Bonuses always work and they are a great way to retain your customers. They work much better than discounts.

When you put a discount on your product, you are telling your customer that your product is not as good as you thought it to be. But when you give your customers a bonus, something extra, they see it as getting something special and so they feel special, too.

10. Be an interesting person

Think again of your efforts to win the heart of your spouse: Your spouse liked you (and hopefully still does) because of your character, because she or he likes the way you talk and the way you think.

You need to understand that your customers buy you first and only then your service or your product. When trying to retain your customers bring out your personality.

So, the next time you write an email or pick up the phone to contact your customer, think about what works great in your relationship with your spouse, or your friends, and you will not just successfully retain your customers but you will also enjoy the process.