When We Give, We Receive

You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word.

Al Capone

It’s said that Napoleon believed there are only two forces that unite men--fear and self interest. Much like introducing the reluctant mule to the two-by-four, it’s crucial to let others know you have their best interests at heart.

For instance, long-term success in business often results from building a mutually beneficial relationship with the customer. A good salesman doesn’t want to sell you a hot television. He wants to loan you the money--at a weekly rate that would make a stripper blush--so you can buy the television, a vibrating recliner and a chrome and glass entertainment center that just fell off the back of someone’s truck.

A veteran sports actuary by the name of Bob Martin referred to this approach to relationship building as taking someone to the cleaners one shirt at a time. The key is getting and keeping your audience’s attention. Whether you rely on ballyhoo or viral buzz, a free lunch or a threatening gesture, people won’t beat a path to your door until they know what’s good for them. Capone, as the comment attributed to him suggests, was an expert at letting his customers know what was good for them.

Wiseguy Wisdom is a guide to personal growth based on books, movies and government tapes.