It’s all in how you look at it: A marketing mantra
- Fri, July 22 2011
- Filed under: Marketing essentials
Some of the best advice I ever heard was from Seth Godin, when I interviewed him for this webinar (it’s free because Seth is generous). He said: Be generous when you’re hungry. It’s difficult to be generous when you’re hungry. Yet being generous keeps you from going hungry. Hence the conflict.
I try to remember this every day.
Here’s the refrain I created for myself:
Generosity inspires generosity, so I’ll give when I’m hungry.
It’s not what I need, it’s what I provide.
I’m in the business of giving, not extracting.
I’ll focus on the resources I have, not those I lack.
I’ll care about relationships, not transactions.
True partnership creates prosperity.
Okay, so maybe you think I’ve gone all new-agey. But I absolutely, positively swear by this mantra. If you are focused on what you do for others, you become a great marketer, a stellar fundraiser and an all-around nice person. Money starts flowing and people feel fulfilled. Where you get into trouble is when you shrink into the space of your own need and hit people up for money. Everything and everyone becomes scarce. Hungry leads to hunger.
Own the great space of what you give rather than the tiny territory of what you need. The former is a much more fertile place to make a life.
Comments
Warms my heart to see someone passing on this mantra. I agree with you 110% and hope the readers listen!
Even as we give we take something in return. I remember when my mentor said “If you want to be better than what you are today, stay foolish, remain hungry but be generous and always be open to help”. It inspires me everyday not to assume I know things, to be hungry for knowledge and to be generous all the time. In a world where people forget, the world remembers and this inspires generosity.
i could not agree more. ive been online since 1995 and there is one mantra is go by. if your willing to knock your own GrandMother down to get to the front of the line you will fail with your online endeavors. ethical only.