If you always start your emails with the same greeting, you might like to have some more ideas.

Take a look here:

• I hope you are fine.
• I hope all is well.
• I hope you enjoyed your holiday/day off/trip to …
• It was lovely seeing you again after such a long time.
• I’m pleased we are in touch again.
• I hope you had a great week and are looking forward to the new week ahead.
• It’s great to hear from you.
• Thank you for getting in touch/getting back to me.
• I’m hoping to get your advice on …

Are these phrases you use? Or do you have others?

“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” Marie Forleo

Success is all about consistency. It’s that combination of small things we do every day.

Perhaps that’s why you’re reading this Spark today.

You’ve decided to work on your English skills and do something on a regular basis.

Congratulations!

According to author James Clear, it might be the most productive thing to eliminate a task.

James’ advice

“Downsize. The rooms you don’t have, don’t need to be cleaned.

Donate. The items you don’t own, don’t need to be organized.

Delete. The projects you don’t take on, don’t need to be finished.

James recommends we ask ourselves: “Is this a problem that needs to be solved? Or is it a problem that can be eliminated all together?”

Great questions, don’t you think?

PS I think he means ‘altogether’ = ‘completely’ or ‘in total’ . ‘All together’ means ‘with each other’. 

Did you know there’s a “Museum of Failure” in Sweden?

It has more than 150 failed products and services from some of the world’s best-known companies.

Take a look at some of them in this short YouTube video.

The idea behind the museum is to show people that innovation needs risk-taking and failure.

The museum’s motto: “Learning is the only way to turn failure into success.” 

We just need to remind ourselves again and again; it’s okay to share our failures.

Do you have a customer referral programme÷a system to get customers to recommend your services or products to their family members and friends?

Some business owners have incentivised programmes or a formal scheme with customers acting as ambassadors. 

If that’s too much hassle, why not just drop a sentence in your email signature and/or on your website asking happy customers if they are willing to  refer your business.

I thought I’d ask you.

If you’re a customer or former customer of mine, you might like to tell someone about me. Or you might like to recommend my Sparks of English to a family member or friend. 

I’d be very grateful if you’d spread the good word.