I was asked by Paul Thornton to contribute to a booklet he’s writing called How to Succeed in Today’s Business World. Paul wanted to know the best piece of business advice I’ve ever received.
This is what I submitted:
One day, quite by accident, I found an article on the internet by some crazy Lithuanian guy called Andrius Kulikauskas. As if his name wasn’t strange enough in itself, the article examines what it would mean to give everything away.
The premise of the article was this:
I accept the idea that I should give everything away.
The challenge is to put this into practice. This is a design problem for personal life and social economy. We can venture attempts and draw experience from them.
My intent is to clarify the problem and offer solutions, especially by documenting ideas that have proven helpful in giving everything away.
This sparked the idea of selling through giving, and that has been the single most efficient and fun sales tool I have ever tried. In every single sales situation I face, I ask myself this question: What can I give?
It’s clear that I can’t give everything away. I couldn’t make a living if I did.
But I repeatedly and reliably find that the more I give away, the more I get back. That my sales results are directly proportional to my generosity.
Not to mention the fact that approaching any situation with an intent to give is much more fulfilling, natural and fun, making “selling by giving” not only more efficient but also more – dare I say it – giving.
Leave a Reply