I'm not suggesting you spend every minute of next year giving away your talents! Just pick a few, your favorites perhaps, ones that would be fun and start with those. This is a true win-win. You will feel great about yourself as your talents are expressed (and appreciated) as well as obvious benefits to recipient. There are a myriad of subtle wins in this type of self-expression, not least of which is potential for new or closer relationships with others.

Too often our passions and talents are kept locked away in our houses or apartments and are confined to Saturday morning hobby time. If even that. Let's let them out into world! Share wealth of your talent.

Let this be year you share yourself. Don't be stingy. You were given your natural talents for a reason - you were given them so you could contribute them to world.

So, what do you have to give?

C2003 by Deirdre McEachern. All rights reserved

--- Oh, that was funny? ---

Do not express sarcasm or any verbiage that requires an associated physical component of body language. It is just as difficult over phone as it is in e-mail to express emotion and humor in a way that recipient understands basic meaning. In many cases, comments can be misinterpreted thus losing a client. Maintain professionalism on phone and, eventually, as you and client get to know each other, careful humor becomes acceptable.

--- Dress for Moment ---

The next point is to "dress for success". Believe it or not, even if you work at home, there is a mental edge that you have when you dress to impress your client. You voice will carry confidence and self-respect over phone lines just as quickly as your appearance in a face-to-face meeting.

--- What's next? ---

Learn how to conduct yourself in a professional business manner over telephone and learn how to deal with different types of clients with whom you'll be speaking. Never do all talking and allow customer time to explain what they want or need and then find a way to fill that need in hopes of securing an order. The old "hard sell" doesn't work anymore, but if you provide something that people want, in a way that they want it, you will have a loyal client!