Have you ever had those “I just want to help this person out a little” moments? Because you know you can? Because you don’t mind not paying yourself sometimes to help others?

There's occasional times we've given a helping hand to friends and family and then there’s days as a business owner that you've seen other businesses struggle and you'd like to help them out knowing you have the ability to.

Who doesn’t appreciate a little help in a tough spot right? Not true, actually, never assume someone will be as grateful as you would be if the roles were reversed!

I’ve had some sobering moments of being too “giving” and I want to share with you 3 ways you can pull back without feeling cold and or left short-changing yourself.

My inspiration of managing these comes from the Yellow Brick Road, yes, the Wizard of Oz and it's iconic characters who were in search of pieces of themselves that were missing. I think it's safe to say that we have identified with one or all of them at some point as we soul search to be a better version of ourselves. These guys were on a magical journey that went from sad and lonely to “it’s going to be ok, I’ve got this”. I'm talking about the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. To watch them come to life brings a sense of clarity and tenacity to reconstruct our actions and abilities.

TO CONTROL YOUR HEART - Tin Man

To include myself as being a giver, some give too much heart and others could use a little more. Regardless of where you are, find the neutral zone.

Why understand this control of heart? First, we can’t evolve our business and ourselves if we don’t know how to be attentive to others and get a true understanding of being an empathetic business. After all a business lives by solving a problem for a customer and fulfills that need. A concern to help your community should be a priority to collaborate with others and create a positive influence.

Second, it's essential to take it down a notch when being an over-giver so that you don't give too much of yourself and energy. There are limits to preserving your self-worth.

Don't EXPECT ANYTHING in return, when you're not self-serving others see this in you and it pays off. It doesn’t matter when, just know that it’s a work in progress and payment comes in the form of gratitude.

Once you get a taste of gratitude, it’s worth more than money.

KEY POINT HERE.This is where you make sure to not over give, especially to 👉 those who are not invested into themselves or their own business. Walk away from that opportunity, it will not pay you gratitude or money! You’ve got a reputation to protect and bills to pay. This will be an inevitable regret if you help those who do not help themselves.

USE YOUR BRAIN - Scarecrow

Think, think, think. You’ve got experiences built up in your business and life library. Use your brain to analyze every situation and it’s details before opening your mouth and saying “Yes”!

Focus on the task at hand and the value it’s worth and the value you're providing the prospects needs. If they are seeking YOU out, they are ready to buy at some level so don't jump the gun on trying to give more than what you know about in their situation.

If you're out prospecting your cold/ warm market be ready to accommodate with different levels of services. With that said, NEVER assume they can’t pay you what your quality of professional service is worth.

Build services to move forward based on what they can afford and accommodate as much as possible to tailor the service without making it difficult on yourself. In the end, you worked with them to give the best you could for what they can afford. You gave Value! This will reward handsomely by WOMM(word of mouth marketing).

RALLY THE COURAGE - Cowardly Lion

Don't be afraid to say no. When someone asks for more than they can afford, have the courage to nicely explain the time, details or expense involved so they have an understanding that you can’t give your worth away.

Have the courage to communicate every detail they may not want to hear but should know so you are always on the same page. Never assume, never assume, never assume.

Take a few minutes daily to mentally calculate your values and determine if you are following them as you would expect someone you care about to, otherwise make adjustments with how you approach these situations in the future.

Have the courage to be the leader you want to be and want to be recognized as. Be that person by your mentality, your actions and your words.

The more you identify with this the better your performance will be...not long after that comes a growth in your business because people see you for you, see your heart, your brain and your courage and that’s priceless.

I hope this helps you or someone you know, feel free to share! Have a great day!