Selling by Giving: How Generosity and Vulnerability Leads to Loyalty

By Sheena McKinney, Executive Assistant to Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing
I recently wrote about how Giving is Better, Receiving is Hard where I share how really hard it can be to receive (help, get compliments, etc.).  I led with the old adage “It’s better to give than receive” and I believe it’s true.  But in business, in sales specifically, does this apply? If so, how?
According to Allen Cheng’s summary of author Adam Grant’s’book, Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success.
People are one of three things:
Takers like to get more than they give. They feel the world is a zero-sum game, for them to win means others must lose. They self-promote and make sure they get credit. They help others strategically, when the benefits to them outweigh their personal costs.
Givers like to give more than they get. They help others when the benefits to others exceeds their personal costs.
Matchers like to