NELSPRUIT – Good people often appear to struggle in business. This is according to Mr David Wilkinson, owner of the Global Equipping Centre (GEC). He was speaking on the topic during a breakfast meeting hosted by the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT) at the Orion Promenade Hotel on November 6.
Wilkinson recently returned to the Lowveld from the United States, where he spent the past three months setting up offices for the GEC. He is famed for being a motivational speaker who also develops and markets creative business seminars and courses. Not only has he launched 22 multinational companies, but has also helped numerous customers in the Lowveld grow their businesses.
Usually, the GEC’s breakfast meetings with the KLCBT are packed to capacity, as was the one titled “Why good people make bad business decisions”.
However, Wilkinson pointed out that the last seminar he held before leaving for North Carolina, was the lowest attendance they have seen. It was titled, “How to double your income in 12 months”. Wilkinson said people in South Africa are for the most part not interested in that.
“They want to know what mistakes they’ve made in the past, so that they can avoid making the same ones. People are afraid of failing. They also do not celebrate the success of others. If someone succeeds, those around them are more likely to try and drag them down,” he said.
He added that people and therefore businesses were very different here from those in the United States, where the same topic in the same book cover really would not be as successful. So for the local context, Wilkinson said during his talk that second-guessing major business decisions after the project has been completed, steals momentum and robs one of joy.
Furthermore, he explained how the heart can rob the wallet and that giving discounts create a dilemma in business. Wilkinson draws a parallel between low self-esteem limiting people’s capacity for income because it makes them uncomfortable, while those with a high self-esteem possess an unlimited capacity for income.
“Good people care for others. They receive great pleasure in assisting others when they need any kind of help, but they are usually taken advantage of constantly because they use their emotions to make business decisions or they have no policies in place to protect themselves,” he explained.
He also explained the dilemma with giving discounts is that it indicates a conflict between value and money. When one consciously accepts that the product is worth its value and subconsciously accepts they are worth the money, there is no dilemma. “When someone gets something at a discount, they are still paying for it. Nobody wins in that situation. It would be better to give it away for free,” he concluded.
Enquiries: James Rice, Lowveld Branch Manager, at 083-412-1210 or visit thegec@webmail.co.za
