Whether you're working out of a small office, or have employees all over the world, you need a simple ethic everyone can follow. These 9 Words are your blueprint and your guiding beacon: the way to a fulfilling life and a successful business.

1. 9 Words that will enrich your life and boost your business Discuss this slideshow on Twitter using hashtag#cc9words

2. Brought to you by Andrew De Gabriele www.ContentCrooner.com blog.ContentCrooner.com Twitter: @ContentCrooner The evolution of article marketing

3. Whether you’re working out of a small office, or have employees all over the world, you need a simple ethic everyone can follow.

4. This is why we came up with the Content Crooner 9 Words They are a guiding beacon:the way to a fulfilling life and a successful business.

5. Adopt the 9 Words as your own! Put these principles into practice in your daily life, and watch your business prosper. Here they come…

6. CLEAR Be straightforward. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

7. CLEAR Talk to your clients and prospects in a language they understand.

8. CLEAR People need to understand what you’re offering before they can do business with you.

9. CLEAR “And how is clarity to be achieved? Mainly by taking trouble and by writing to serve people rather than to impress them.” F. L. Lucas (English writer and literary critic)

10. HONEST Always tell the truth, and always tell it all. Leaving out information will only disappoint customers later.

11. HONEST Make sure you can deliver on your promises.

12. HONEST Win the trust of your prospects and customers, and cultivate happy, long-term relationships.

13. HONEST “Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.” Mary Kay Ash (Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics)

14. ENGAGING Connect with your audience. Make the discussion all about them – not you or your business.

15. ENGAGING Tell stories that capture people’s imaginations. Be creative and innovative.

16. ENGAGING Provoke a reaction. Get people thinking, and get them talking.

17. ENGAGING “Great stories make a promise. They promise fun, safety or a shortcut. The promise needs to be bold and audacious. It’s either exceptional or it’s not worth listening to.” Seth Godin (Marketing/business guru and bestselling author)

18. RELIABLE Develop a solid product or service that consistently delivers as promised.

19. RELIABLE Always be there for your customers – even at short notice.

20. RELIABLE “The key piece in the center is trustworthy systems, systems that do what you expect on an extremely reliable basis” Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft and philanthropist)

21. USEFUL Focus on solving problems that really matter.

22. USEFUL Strive to exceed expectations, and delight your customers.

23. USEFUL Better still, build customer loyalty by creating something so valuable, it’s irreplaceable.

24. USEFUL “I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful, and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful.” Oscar Wilde (Irish poet)

25. INTUITIVE Make your product or service easy to use.

26. INTUITIVE If your users need lots of training, or a complicated manual, you must go back to the drawing board.

27. INTUITIVE Make people’s lives easier, and they’ll be singing your praises.

28. INTUITIVE “You don’t need to outdo the competition. It’s expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity.” Jason Fried (CEO, 37 Signals)

29. PROMPT Once your audience is excited about your product or service, they want it pronto!

30. PROMPT Make sure you deliver on time.

31. PROMPT Respond quickly to e-mails and queries. Work swiftly to fix any hiccups in your products or service.

32. PROMPT “The longer you wait, the harder it is to produce outstanding customer service.” William H. Davidow (Entrepreneur and business consultant)

33. COURTEOUS Treat all your customers like royalty – big and small alike.

34. COURTEOUS Customers are not required to be courteous. Don’t let their demeanor determine yours.

35. COURTEOUS Show you care, and go out of your way to make them happy.

36. COURTEOUS Remember that your customers are your real boss – and your best sales people.

37. COURTEOUS “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” Walt Disney

38. HELPFUL Aim to move forward, solve, resolve or fix something, every time you interact with a customer.

39. HELPFUL Look at things from your customer’s point of view. How can you better serve them?

40. HELPFUL “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” Peter Drucker (Management consultant and visionary)

41. It’s a pleasure to share these 9 Words with you. PROMPT RELIABLE CLEAR USEFUL COURTEOUS HONEST HELPFUL ENGAGING INTUITIVE And now it’s your turn…

42. ? What do YOUthink should be the 10th Word Let us know on Twitter, using hashtag#cc9words

43. See YOU there! #cc9words Andrew De Gabriele www.ContentCrooner.com blog.ContentCrooner.com Twitter: @ContentCrooner The evolution of article marketing

44. Keep the 9 Words always present! Get the 9 Words Screensaver from ContentCrooner.com/ninewords