Opportunities to give

We often formulate strategies to GET more customers (fans, friends, subscribers, clients, patients, projects, etc.) revenue, visibility, or resources. We're thinking we'll have to give some time, money or services to GET what we're pursuing. So we figure we've balanced the equation of giving and getting. We not getting what we seek for free or giving away our deal for free either.

This equation is changing before our eyes. We're formulating more strategies to GIVE. Some are giving back after earning large sums of money. Others are giving a version of their product/service for free to create the following that migrates into paid versions of the offer. Some are giving away their talents to build reputations for serving, caring, knowing and collaborating effectively. Others are giving time and efforts to get familiarity, practice, connections and experience within a domain they seek to work in.

All this giving involves a different drive from strategies to get what we seek. Giving involves intrinsic motivations (self motivation) since there's no immediate reward to chase after. The giving process pays in ways that others cannot see or understand. We're being our selves when we give in these ways. It pays to be transparent about our process in order to be more trusted.

Opportunities to give will show up on our radar when we know of people and their situations in detail. We will see what is particularly needed, not working or getting left undone. We will discern how we can lend a hand, make a difference and ease others' burden. The way we jump in will get their attention, respect and appreciation. We won't need to sell our expertise or our capabilities. Those will "sell themselves" by how they make the difference, take effect or impact the situation. We will deploy an indirect strategy that gets us rewarded intrinsically immediately and extrinsically in the long run.