Florence Nightingale said that wealth is a measure of the service we provide to others. He suggested that individuals earn big salaries and commissions because they provide exceptional value to their employers or their customers. Zig Ziglar, another famous sales expert, said “you can get everything you want out of life by helping others get what they want.” So, serve others first and your efforts may come back to reward you.
Whether you are a clerk in a retail store, a financial advisor, or an engineer selling the latest technology to the Space Agency, you will be recognized and rewarded for what you do for others. Maybe not immediately; but over time, the accumulation of your efforts, problems solved, kindnesses shown, and the effort made to ‘go the extra mile’ will pay off.
Serve Others First
When you serve others in a spirit of humility and gratitude, you build trust. And, you show you aren’t only looking out for yourself, so you earn respect. Those who are liked, respected and trusted receive more referrals. They get more opportunities to help solve their customers’ bigger problems. Plus, they encounter fewer objections and when they make a recommendation, their customers generally follow it.
You Get What You Give
One could argue that the Wall Street bankers who profited in spite of or because of the economic meltdown did not fit the rule. Some greedy CEOs of large corporations are obvious examples of those acting contrary to Nightingale’s assertion. But, his contention remains true for the bulk of the population. You get back in life what you first give. What goes around comes around.
In a world in which hubris, greed and celebrity stardom may be superficially honoured more than service to others, the end result isn’t very appealing. Civilization has advanced over thousands of years and prospered because of our willingness to help each other. Robert Cialdini, in his book Influence, says:
The noted archaeologist Richard Leakey ascribes the essence of what makes us human to the reciprocity system. We are human because our ancestors learned to share their food and their skills in an honoured network of obligation.
Giving back, service to others, and reciprocity are values that are key to a successful life. Nightingale’s words, penned more than 50 years ago are still true today, perhaps more important now then ever. Learn more about our Pure Selling program, and how to make giving back to others part of your sales model.