Do Me A Favor….

Do Me A Favor….

You have to give to get. Approaching someone for a favor works, but it doesn’t create an ongoing or peer relationship. When you offer a benefit or a favor to someone else, then you create reciprocity. If I provide leads to new prospects to my attorney or accountant, it’s far more likely I’ll get a positive response when I ask them to contribute to a fund drive I’m heading for a charity.

There’s a man in his 60s with a bike who hangs out in town near some stores. He respectfully asks for money. But he engages people in conversation whether they give him something or not. He and I usually talk about cars, often the weather, and sometimes how people react to wearing masks in and out of the stores. It’s less than five minutes, but it’s pleasant and I’m happy to help him.

I remember one of my clients kindly offering half of her untouched, takeout, $40 sandwich to a man asking for money outside a deli in New York. The guy said, “I want money, not food.”