This Week’s Focus: I love watching football, no matter what the standard. Even if I’m in my car and see a game in a park, I try to wait until the ball goes out of play before driving off. But earlier this week I watched something special – Lionel Messi scored five goals in Barcelona’s demolition of the German side, Bayer Leverkusen.

It’s not the first time Messi has astonished me –and when I watch him play the I just think that he makes the game – a game that so many people find so difficult – look beautifully effortless.People respond viscerally to experiences that are effortless, whether the experience is listening to Sinatra sing, admiring a Monet painting, or watching Lionel Messi play football. It even applies to the effortlessness people experience when buying or using a particular product or service.

So, ask yourself, over the past 12 months in what ways have you made buying and using your products and services beautifully effortless for your customers, and how will you make them even more effortless over the next 12 months?

Off The Record: Supersonic by Oasis (Messi’s favourite band)

I need to be myself, I can’t be no-one else

I’m feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic

You can have it all, but how much do you want it?

© Stuart Cross 2012. All rights reserved.