Want to make more money, give more away! Philanthropy is part of who I am and I can tell you that there is no greater feeling, no greater satisfaction, than knowing you’re making a difference. But giving back to your community is also good for your business. While giving back should not come with the expectations of a return, it is however the collateral affects, such as acquiring customers who embrace your cause, which you cannot control. Philanthropy helps build relationships with clients and potential clients. It helps build and support your brand and it promotes employee engagement. And, let’s face it: good corporate citizens want to do business with others who share their values of giving back to the community. Entrepreneur.com says: “Think of the NFL and the United Way”. The NFL has done a great job associating itself and the players with a charitable organization that does good work for communities throughout the country. It makes you feel good when you see a player giving back to his community. In other words, the act of giving back evokes emotions and fosters connections with people of like minds. So how does giving back help your bottom line? A Harvard

To become an effective negotiator requires constant practice in “negotiation thinking”.  It is a daily discipline, not an ability that can be left dormant in normal times and tapped at will in an emergency.  Nor is there such a thing as a line of ready-made, packaged negotiation strategies waiting to be picked off the supermarket shelf. Negotiation is simply the logical extension of one’s usual communication process.  Done well, it derives from long-term philosophy, not short-term expediencies.  In a very real sense, it represents the expression of an attitude about one’s life. _____Paraphrased from The Mind of the Strategist (1982) by Kenichi Ohmae If you think about it, we use negotiation in various ways almost every day, from conflict resolution and dealing with customers or vendors, to attempting lower your cable bill or buying a house.  Just remember that basic principles of negotiation are the same and that even the most skilled and experienced negotiators will feel discomfort when negotiating.  The only difference is a skilled negotiator has learned to recognize, and suppress, the outward signs of these feelings. The first thing you need to ask yourself is what are you worth?  What do you bring to the table?  Is