In Ohio I met an automobile salesman who had an incredible track record – selling to many of the same families for three generations. “What is your secret?” I asked. “Why do you have so many repeat customers?”

“Early in my career, I decided to make friends by giving things away,” he told me. “Every morning, before leaving home, I made sure my pockets were filled with little trinkets – from ball point pens with the company logo to wrapped candy and key chains. I tried to give something to every customer.”

He told me that while the parents were looking at the car, he would give their child a coin to put in the gum-ball machine. “I made it a point to give something to everybody.”

Why did it work? People never forget those who are thoughtful and generous.

While you shouldn’t give for the purpose of receiving, that is the way it usually seems to turn out. A generous donor was once asked, “How do you manage to give so much?” He responded, “The good Lord never stops shoveling good things on me. If I didn’t shovel it back, I’d be buried in an avalanche!”

It’s been said that there are two kinds of people, givers and takers. The takers eat well, but the givers sleep well!

Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.

Thanks to Neil Eskelin jumpstartlist@neileskelin.com