This
as you well know is a statement made by J.F.K. This
attitude applies not only to the country but also
to your family, your job or business, your customers,
friends etc.
People choose professions, and make business decisions
based on what the field will bring back in terms
of money right away. Thus in the business world
too many businessmen, doctors etc. are not doing
what is good and helpful to their customers BUT
WHAT IS GOOD FOR THEIR INCOME. That is of course
understandable and I myself definitely do take into
consideration of what I can expect back when making
any business decision. But there is a fine line
between only wanting to get before giving and between
being totally willing and even a desire to give
(or risk) before receiving.
It is quite magical how people who are willing to
give first are doing well in making money.
And no, I am not talking in a religious sense here
at all.
I am referring to people who are willing to invest
in something that might involve risk. Since nothing
in life actually is 100% sure and people who will
never do anything without being 100% certain in
a good return usually end up being in a bad shape.
There are an awful lots of things one can do as
a businessperson to woo one's customer or one's
prospective customer.
First one has to care about them and that is not
just caring about them in the area of your service
but caring about their lives as a whole.
It could mean to somehow participate in community
activities. Activities that help children are extremely
beneficial for our society and are also very appreciated
by the parents in the community. And they are after
all your customers and prospective customers. Helping
the community for a doctor or businessperson might
include making sure that when people are in your
office, they are well supplied with good water and
good air, and as well getting some advice on general
topics to them even if completely unrelated to your
field.
That sounds simple enough but is rarely done. Oh
yes, you have bottled water available but how much
more could you do?
What about making the best possible healthy water
available to them?
Sure, the one time a year they come to you will
not change their health because of the good water
but maybe because you showed them that good water
is available and how to get it and thus they might
start using the same water at home for their family.
It might even take some brochures next to the water
so that they do get educated.
You ask, "What is my benefit for doing that?
Why should I get involved in their private live
style?" "I am not going to be intrusive
to their life - no not me!!"
Well, that is the attitude, which John F. Kennedy
wanted to reverse!!
What is it in for me? Nothing - except a whole family
drinking better water and thus thinking of you more
often and thus maybe coming back more often and
or mentioning your name more often to their friends.
So you see, nothing in for you at first in terms
of monetary results but probably something in the
end. And what if the end in terms of monetary results
never comes? What about it? So you helped someone
to be healthier -- if you are a doctor then that
even happens to be your sworn-in duty!! So you spend
a few hundred bucks or even a few thousands to achieve
that. This is what we are talking about when saying
"don't ask what you can do for me but what
can I do for you." People who do that -- people
who live by that type of principals -- are usually
very much happier people and yes, usually also quite
rich!
Water was one example, air is another, and enlightening
people about other dietary supplements and basic
exercises are yet other examples.
Also don't forget about doing things that help parents
to keep children away from drugs - it would be making
a difference in the community. Wouldn't it?
The above examples are by no means the only examples
of the principles of doing something first before
receiving or even without thinking that you might
receive anything.
I bet you can come up with thousands of variations
if you put your mind to it.
The state of the health in the U.S. population has
never been worse due to fast food, water being substituted
by soft drinks which are literally killing people,
and air being bad despite the possibility of having
great air at least in one's home.
Looking the other side and not caring because it
is not in your line of business and because of being
worried what other people might think if you do
those things are an admission of not caring for
the fellow man.
After all we can only have as good as a life as
the neighbors, friends, and families have a good
life.
I cannot tell you how many people (complete strangers
in the beginning) whom I gave an unsolicited speech
about nutrition, had then told me that their child's
skin rash disappeared or that their knee pain went
almost totally away, or that they hardly have any
headaches any more, or that their children are now
studying better etc. The list is long indeed. You
might have been one of them who got my rather "enforced
advice" but tried it anyhow and maybe got results.
Does the advice you give people work for everyone?
It would be nice, but it will not happen, what counts
is that you exclude no one from the valuable information
on whatever subject you have information on.
The truth is that nobody really can help anyone.
But one can show people the road and some will walk
it others will not. Keep showing people the road,
even to the ones who did not walk it after you have
shown it once or twice - keep showing it. The ones
who eventually will go on that road will reward
you with more personal fulfillment than you can
imagine.
And you know what? They will also make you rich.
People know they have to pay for things and they
do not mind paying and seeing someone make money
with a product or service, which gives them something
in return.
Thus you should also make available some of those
items to them. Only telling people what is wrong
helps nobody - nobody - unless it also comes
with an insistence in performing the steps necessary
to remedy the situation.
Insisting that someone does what he should do, to
get help (in whatever area that it might be) is
what is called caring. Let's say you do some events
with children about no drugs, no smoking, not so
much sugar, or on how to study better, you must
also bring a certain tenacity to those meetings
and insist in the following of your advice.
Thus the term 'hard sell' only applies to people
railroading others into services they don't need
with heavy duress.
'Care Selling' on the other hand is exactly what
it says, - care enough like you would when repeatedly
talking to your mother for hours and days and weeks,
and even years to act on a certain thing you knew
will help her!!!
The moral of this issue? Care a bit more, care in
areas which you are not necessarily designated by
your profession. Care about areas of people's life
no matter what those areas might be
and no matter when financial rewards may be realized.
