INVESTORS’ CORNER: A proven, authentic path to more money

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Old-school teacher Earl Nightingale explains in his classic audio course “Lead the Field” that the essence of making more money works like this: “Money can’t be sought directly. Money, like happiness is an effect, and the result of a cause. The cause is service.”

I love that.  Money is an effect, not a cause.

If you want more money, ironically it doesn’t make sense to focus on the money.  Instead, if you focus on giving better and more service, money will flow to you naturally because it’s a cause-effect relationship.

If you think about it, this concept is really the essence of economics in general.

For example, someone is hungry and too busy to cook a meal.  A local entrepreneur recognizes that need and creates a restaurant in order to serve that person and others like her.  If the restaurant owner consistently and profitably serves the customers well, it will thrive.  If it does not, the business will die.

Super-successful fast food restaurant Chik-fil-A is a perfect example of this basic success formula.  What do you think all of the servers at Chik-fil-A ask when a customer is ready to order a sandwich?

“How may I serve you?”

An attitude of service is rare.  Therefore it’s also valuable in any job or business.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a plumber, a real estate investor, a teacher, an engineer, a nurse, or a salesman. The essence of your job is service, and focusing on service will help you to create more income.

Why does this work? Because if you make service your priority, the people you serve can sense it and they appreciate it.

Customers will buy from you again and also refer their friends.  Bosses will promote you and give you raises. Employees and colleagues will give you their respect and their loyalty.  Vendors will give you the best price possible and their top priority.

Service is not a gimmick. It requires the best in you.  You will need creativity, patience, hard work, and humility. But few strategies come close to the simplicity and effectiveness of service for earning more money – or for helping you live a fulfilled and happy life.

Chad Carson is a member of Metrolina REIA (metrolinareia.org), which provides education, networking, and networking for real estate investing in the Charlotte region.  Chad also writes about real estate, money, and life at coachcarson.com.