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New Year’s resolutions can be boring when they’re all about you: perhaps that’s why people seldom stick with them after the initial momentum wears off. Making resolutions that involve your business, however, is another story.

Here are six ways to be a top “resolver” for your prospects, clients, staff and colleagues this year:

1. Share the wealth. We’re talking about knowledge capital here. Instead of issuing an edict, suggest, “Here’s what I’m thinking,” which allows your people to respond. You can phrase this idea differently depending on your audience. For senior clients and prospects, you may want to say something more along the lines of, “Here are a few suggestions,” or “Have you considered…?”
2. Creatively connect. How are you meeting new reverse mortgage prospects? Have you considered (see above if this phrase sounds familiar!) asking people you know to introduce you to likely prospects? If you aren’t asking your connections to make new connections for you, you’re missing out on a potential goldmine.
3. Don’t sell, add. Nobody wants to be “sold” to right out of the gate — even seniors who may contact you to learn about a reverse mortgage. Instead, choose to make “value deposits” in your future relationships vault by sharing helpful, insightful information first.
4. Lend a hand — or an ear. It may be literal; perhaps your employee is struggling to understand the new HECM changes. Or it may be emotional: maybe what the senior who made an appointment really needs from you is non-judgmental listening as she struggles to share what’s happening in their lives and how to manage a sudden turn in their finances.
5. Speak their language. Communication styles differ across generations, genders, cultures, and businesses. While some seniors love to email and text, others may still cling to rotary-dial phones. There are twenty-somethings who eschew technology in favor of gardening. So toss out assumptions like worn out sock, and discover how your client/prospect/business associate prefers to communicate. Then adapt. You may be pleasantly surprised to step away from the electronic soup for a face-to-face café meeting. Or chuckle at how adept your 82-year-old reverse mortgage client is with texting. Communicating across diverse channels can be a refreshing exercise for all involved.
6. Complete the transaction. We all know the importance of saying “Please”, “Thank you”, and “I’m sorry.” But do you always remember to say, “You’re welcome”? This completes an energy circuit. A senior who thanks you for your time and information will appreciate your humility in making eye contact and saying, “You’re welcome. I’m happy to be of service.” The same is true for an employee to whom you lent that needed assistance. It says you’re really paying attention — and that you care.