There is no free lunch on earth. I have an interesting quote from Rev. Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations. “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages.”
Nothing is free. So why beg from a business? Beware of free services. If it is free, then you are the product. Meanwhile service providers, beware of fans and friends who avoid talking money to you especially when it is time to talk about the money – These are potential beggars or better still – exploiters.
Experienced players like us are quick to spot these beggars. They always insist on blessing their service providers. Hear them ‘God Bless you’; ‘kudos’; ‘wow keep up’ ‘you are the type of person we need in the society’. Some of them even use words like ‘Jesus’ as their bait. Others in the same category begin by offering gifts, and ‘free services’ while hoping for their big catch. They are generally humble and you know very well that a beggar must be hypocritically humble unlike paying clients who are more authoritative as expected.
No one is against praise. I love them too. Hey - I gladly accept gifts and free services too yes. I do beg from friends (not businesses) and before I beg, I must have exhausted all possible human and divine options. And their granting my begging request does not condition my charity. Everyone is charitable at their level and on their terms and conditions. More to that, genuine charity expect nothing in return.
With me, when these beggars come to beg for free professional services, I cut the long rigmarole short - ‘We are not a charity organization’. This response saves a lot of time and maintains the friendship.
Even charitable organizations do have their different choices and conditions for charity. Profit making companies and businesses as well do have their corporate social responsibility schemes outlined – so why insist on coming to beg for free services, when you are able to pay?
Service is the price one pays for their rent on earth. We cannot beg to live, eat, breath and be free. That is why people go ahead to render goods and services in order for consumers to pay and use. This will enable the services providers to pay their rents. So each time you the consumer come to beg, you actually deprive someone of paying their rents on earth.
In business, begging makes demand to be ineffective and this does no good to the parties. What I mean is this -begging for professional services does no good even to you the beggar. If you doubt go to #Silicon_Mountain and meet our techies there. Beg for a service, they won’t ever refuse, but be rest assured the two day job might not be completed even after a month. Yet – go and pay for the service, you might have it executed even before you leave their office!
Negotiation during the buying process is not begging. The price of a product/service is of course mostly determined the force of demand and supply which and this process is called negotiation. Requesting for discount and preferential treatment is not begging. Exchange of services is itself not begging. Even though borrowing is not the best, it is better than begging.
To you the beggar, start by refusing to be at the mercy of others. Then learn to talk money. Stop being beggarly.
To you the business, demand is only effective when someone is willing and able to pay for your goods and services. Take it from me - most customers who come to beg, disrupt this business process and these DO NOT VALUE YOUR SERVICE. Send them away.