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It’s another year. Almost a relief, isn’t it? Good riddance, 2008.

This year can’t be much worse. Or can it? The good news is that we’re at a point of fresh start, new beginnings. New president. New regime. New ball game. New ideas. New hope. So, what else is new?

What’s going to be new about you?

What “new” are you committed to?

What am I going to do? One thing is for sure. I’m not waiting until Inauguration Day or until after the first 100 days to see what happens. I’m taking action today. My hope is that my actions match or exceed the economy’s progress.

Historically, in the free enterprise system, business reacts faster than government. I want to be on the leading edge, not the wait-and-see edge.

This is not a resolution; it’s a resolve – and a game plan.

Below are my objectives for the first 100 days of 2009. NOTE WELL: Not all will be completed in that time frame, but all will be implemented and in full motion.

• All-out sales campaign. Contact every customer we have ever done business with. Offer help, ask where the most help is needed, and ask for more business.

• All-out improvement of customer service. Faster shipping, faster turnaround of training modules, faster response to needs and questions, and memorable recovery for the rare mistakes we make. More proactive customer communications; thank-yous and confirmations are the order of the day. Every day.

• All-out branding. My writing, my column, my e-zine, my Web site and all my promotions will reflect the value that my customers can relate to and want more of.

• All-out relationship building. “Value first” is the key. Consistent communication is the secret. Increase the value of my Web site and weekly e-zine, Sales Caffeine.

• All-out internal education with a focus on attitude and trust. In order to offer the best of everything, my team will have to be their best. I have hundreds of hours of sales, customer loyalty, attitude, trust and personal development training available, and my inside team will be the first to take advantage of it.

• All-out self-education. More student, less TV. Read more. Study the history of sales and personal development more. Write more philosophical discoveries and understandings.

• All-out work my hardest. I will complete three books this year. I will give 100 presentations. I will make certain all my content, whether in books or in seminars, is the most relevant, real-world and transferable as I am physically and mentally able to make it.

• All-out work my best. Own my time. Invest my time. Be more organized and more productive in my early hours of the day.

• All-out be my best. Increased focus on personal excellence, both physical and mental, and both at work and at home.

The key words are “all out.”

This is not a time for waiting. This is a time for DOING.

At this time of year, most people write down a few namby-pamby resolutions or goals: lose 10 pounds, read more books, exercise more, join a health club, keep a clean desk and other dead-end wishes that will fade in less than a month. Don’t let this be you – especially this year.

Why not add “all out” to whatever you write down so that you are determined to take some real action, and commit to an all-out effort to achieve for yourself? New years symbolize and create opportunities for new beginnings more than any other time.

Get going. Go all out.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2009 Jeffrey H. Gitomer