When it comes to a deal ... it is actually all about "me" ...

Well, not everything, but a key portion. When we boil everything down, there is an element that, I think, we should admit and that is that is "all about me" .. and there is nothing inherently wrong with that! As long as we don't go overboard and be or become a narcissist, it can be a healthy motivator to do good.

Having it be "all about me" is what makes the world go around. Certainly it could be due to some obvious direct mercenary benefits of funds or privilege, however it also can stem simply from the "feel good" that one has from doing good for others. That feel good is the "rush" one feels for being recognized and/or given credit for doing something positive and meangingful that is appreciated by others. It is THAT "about me" that I'd like to talk about.

Whether it is selling a product/service or generating sponsorships and donations, there needs to be the proverbial win-win for long term success. After all, none of us want positives to happen once. We want them to recur over and over. That recurrence is what creates the foundation for growth as well as allow efficiencies in time spent. The biggest block of time with any selling/development effort is in the early stages. Establishn ing a relationship, an understanding and most significantly a trust that allows for the win-win to occur is critical so positive continuation can be easily repeated because of it.

As a person or team in pursuit of a sale, donation or partnership, the adage of "placing one's self in the other's shoes" is a key step and skill needed in order to figure on consummating a "deal". What the other one wants is so very important and it often is not about solely about money or something purely tangible. Motivations can vastly vary and even sometimes not even be fully recognized by the individuals themselves.

A key is to probe and find out as much as possible. Once pretty well identified, then the opportunity exists to provide ideas and/or resource options that will satisfy those interests. And keep in mind, any of us or entities usually have more value offerings either existing or that can be created, than we ever think of upfront. Those will be a future blog topic.

Professionals prepare ... over and over and over. Not to the point of never "pulling the trigger", but to place the odds in their favor to accomplish a favorable end result.