14. Add Value

My most precious moments in life have been when I have given value to others. It hasn’t always been easy. The idea that the more you give the more you receive is not easily accepted. I mean, how can you expect to receive more when you are giving? The idea took years for me to grasp but it works. Adding value works in life and in business. As a matter of fact, its what personal brands are built from. The YouTuber that you’ve been following for years is launching a book or an online program and you want to show your support by purchasing it and recommending it to others. But why? You know that for years they have made an impact on your life through their videos and it’s your way of paying it forward. And you know that what they are selling will be great just as the free content they’ve shared.

Adding value to relationships works as well. When you unconditionally add value to people’s lives they want to return the favor. I have made it a rule of mine that before asking someone for a favor I must first add something of value to their life. When I attend networking events I seldom speak about my business. I get to know them and ask about their business and what kind of clients they are looking for. After that I would say, “I may know two or three people that will be interested in that.” At the end of the night, I would send them an e-mail with two or three potential leads for their business. Often times they asked about my line of work and they returned the favor by giving me leads of people they knew would be interested in my services. I gained more clientele by first focusing on adding value to those that I was networking with. (Such an abrupt ending but I have to wake up early. Until tomorrow 100 Naked Words.)