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Topic for
Discussion: How can we make money if we give everything away for
free?
Answer: Good
question! There are hundreds of churches and other non-profit organizations
that raise money or collect goods and then give them to people in need. This is
not Marc's business model. What he is saying is that he has learned in life
that when he gives, it comes back to him. The people or the charity he gives to
end up circling back to do business with him. Sometimes, someone connected to
someone Marc donated to comes to him to do business.
Marc also said he
is a big plagiarizer. This means he steals ideas and he doesn't steal ideas
from small business, he steals them from big business. His lifetime guarantee
idea came from the idea of the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval."
His strong
commitment to charities comes from studying big foundations. He reminds us that
people who run big businesses are, "not stupid." Big businesses establish
foundations and other programs to assist those in need because it always pays
to be nice.
Other business
owners we know who subscribe to this strategy talk about it as the way they
launched themselves in business.
Topic for
discussion: Why is volunteering to work with a non-profit organization good
for the soul and also such a good marketing technique?
Answer:
Albert Black is founder of On Target Supplies and Logistics. His passion is
community service and by accident he found this to be his best marketing
strategy. Albert gives of himself because he loves people and love life. Yet,
when you want to sell something, it is difficult to know who actually has the
checkbook!
When you work on a
good cause, you will meet people who will often tell you who they know and who
might possibly be your next customers. Albert worked with the Chamber of
Commerce and when he received an award for service, John Castle was present at
the event. Today, John Castle is on Albert's board. John also leads EDS, one of
the country's largest companies, and as you might guess, EDS is now one of
Albert's customers, too.
You think about
it: What have you given in the past? What can you give? What should you
give? |
