The Best Way to Get Business Is to Give Business — Here's Why

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Key Takeaways

- The strongest opportunities come from helping others succeed before prioritizing your own gain.

- Generosity builds trust, and trust consistently drives more business than aggressive pursuit.

The best opportunities in my career did not come from chasing deals. They came from helping other people win first. When most people think about getting business, they picture the chase.

Cold calls.

Perfectly crafted pitches.

Persistent follow-ups.

The idea is simple. If you want the deal, get it.

I understand that mindset. I started my career with the same mentality. Like every young professional, I wanted more listings, more clients, more deals. I thought success meant being the most aggressive person in the room.

Over time, I realized something important. The biggest opportunities in my career rarely came from chasing anything. They came from giving.

Giving introductions.

Giving advice.

Giving opportunities away.

The best way to get business is to give business. This is not some feel-good philosophy. It is a strategy that works across industries. I have seen it play out in real estate, venture capital, and entrepreneurship again and again. The people who build lasting careers are rarely the ones who squeeze every opportunity for themselves.

They are the ones who open doors for others. At the center of every deal sits one thing that matters more than anything else.

TRUST.

Not contracts.

Not spreadsheets.

Not signatures.

TRUST.

When people trust you, business flows naturally. When they do not trust you, no amount of clever pitching will fix the problem. One of the fastest ways to build trust is to show someone you are willing to help them without expecting an immediate return.

When you connect two people who can benefit from knowing each other, something interesting happens. The relationship changes. You are no longer just another person trying to get something.

You become someone who creates value.

People remember that.

Think about the last time someone introduced you to a client or investor without asking for anything in return. That single gesture probably changed the way you viewed them immediately.

That is the power of generosity in business. I saw this lesson early in my real estate career. When you are a young agent, every lead feels precious. It is tempting to hold onto every opportunity, even when it is not the right fit.

Early on, I made a different decision. If a client was better suited to another agent, I referred them. If a deal required expertise I did not have, I connected the client with someone who did.

At first, that felt counterintuitive. I was giving away business when I needed it the most.

What happened next surprised me.

Those same agents started sending clients back to me. Sometimes the referrals were even better than the opportunities I had passed along.

By helping other professionals succeed, I created a network that wanted to help me succeed too. That same philosophy carries into my work today in venture capital.

At Morrison Seger, we review countless companies and opportunities. We do not invest in every brand we see. But that does not stop me from making introductions when I believe in the founder or the idea.

Sometimes I connect founders with investors who may be a better fit. Other times, I introduce entrepreneurs to operators who can help them scale their business. Many of those introductions have nothing to do with our direct financial upside.

Still, the long-term value of those relationships is enormous. People remember who helped them when it mattered.

Those moments build something more powerful than a single deal. They build a REPUTATION.

Over time, people begin to associate your name with something simple. If you need help, talk to Rogers. He will point you in the right direction. That kind of reputation compounds in ways most people underestimate.

There is also a psychological reason why giving works so well in business.

First, it breaks expectations. Most people walk into business conversations expecting someone to ask for something. When you offer help instead, the interaction stands out immediately.

Second, giving activates reciprocity. Human beings naturally want to return favors. When someone helps us, we instinctively look for a way to help them back.

Third, generosity builds visibility. When you consistently connect people and share opportunities, your name becomes associated with progress and momentum.

People start thinking of you whenever something interesting comes across their desk.

The best part is that anyone can adopt this mindset.

You do not need to be wealthy. You do not need to control massive deals. You need to become intentional about helping others.

Start by making introductions.

Every week, connect two people who should know each other. Do not make it random. Make it thoughtful. When the connection benefits both sides, everyone remembers