Like many others, including self-improvement megastars Dan Millman, Depak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and many others, I believe that each of us is here for a reason. I believe that each of us has a purpose in life, and that we are happiest when we are walking our true path. Our greatest chance of success is in doing what we are meant to do.

But I go a step further. I believe that part of our true purpose is to serve others - first, last and always. This core belief is the foundation of my own servant-leadership, and is the reason for my success. In other words, when I have succeeded, it is because I served others. That is the essence of True Service - the pursuit of personal fulfillment through the service of others.

Over more than four decades of research into religions and spiritual life-ways, I have found that one constant theme weaves its way into virtually every belief system in the world - no matter our purpose, no matter our talents, we are called to serve others to the best of our ability. It is in our selfless acts of service that we find our greatest fulfillment and our greatest rewards. That's why True Service is the core of everything I do. To me, True Service is the core of being human.

So how does this all relate to business? Simple. At its core, True Service is the implementation of servant-leadership ethics and philosophy in sales relationships. Simple. Effective. True. And profitable, as you will see in a minute.

Robert K. Greenleaf, the patron saint of the humanistic management world, coined the phrase servant-leader to describe the leader who is motivated by his desire to serve others. With this philosophy he began to change the business world into one in which employees thrive under managers who make it their number one job to support, mentor and empower employees. His four decades of work with ATT had already proven the truth of his beliefs, and upon retiring he set out to tell the rest of the business world how it could vastly improve the quality of life for employees, and could make more money in so doing. (For more on servant-leadership, I invite you to visit the Larry Spears Center for Servant-Leadership.)

By the time I was first introduced to Greenleaf's philosophy, I was already tightly focused on providing outstanding customer service. I had learned at my father's knee that the key to business success was to give my best to my customers at all times. As a teenager mowing lawns I quickly learned that going the extra mile for my customers rewarded me with larger tips and more referrals than I could handle.

A few years later when the gas crisis of the early 70s hit, I was working at a local gas station. I was one of only two pump jockeys that wasn't laid off. (The other one was the owner's son.) Why? Because I did what my father told me to do when I got the job - I gave more to the job than what it paid. I made myself virtually impossible to fire because I served my customers - and my boss - to the best of my ability.

Those early experiences and many others taught me that giving my best paid better. I learned that by treating others as I would want to be treated was an important key to success. Following my father's advice, I applied the Golden Rule to business, eventually calling it Baldwin's First Law of Business Success. Once I had become so firmly grounded in its application that it was second nature, my father offered me The Grandmother Clause, which is now Baldwin's Extension of the First Law: treat every customer the way you would want your grandmother to be treated.

In order to underline that thought, let me point out that both my grandmother and my mother are very small women. At their heaviest, they were each less than a hundred pounds, and neither of them was much over five feet tall. Both are easily disturbed by impatience, rudeness or any of a dozen other service infractions. Therefore, when someone was dealing with either of them, I would want that person to use kid gloves. I'd want them to be at their most patient, their most compassionate, and offer their finest service.

In those early days I didn't fully understand the depth of the gift my father had given me.. It was only when I attempted to pursue a career in "professional sales" that I realized just how lucky I had been. But when I hit the Shark Tank, I got the message loud and clear - and quickly.

After leaving the Navy in 1982, I explored the possibility of becoming a professional salesman. Unfortunately, every program to which I was exposed consisted mostly of arm-twisting techniques, mental manipulation and other Salesman vs. Customer tactics. I was still very good at sales, but these new (to me) tactics made me feel dirty. I would go home at night in dire need of an emotional hot shower to rid myself of the negativity. It wasn't long before I decided that I just wasn't built for that kind of sales.

During this same time frame, I was also building my music career. I soon found myself consulting to other bands and entertainers. I was very good at marketing, both to clubs and talent buyers, and potential fans. In the beginning I freely offered what I knew, and felt good about helping other musicians succeed. It took a few years before I realized that I should be charging for my services.

The reason I wasn't charging for my work was that I was already completely fulfilled just in knowing I was helping others. It really felt good when someone told me they'd followed my advice to success. I'd see ads for bands I'd helped and beam with pride to see their growth. This was the beginning of True Service as a sales philosophy. Having experienced the difference, I clearly saw how much better it felt to serve others. I also saw that I developed long-term relationships with many of my clients and customers.

I learned of Greenleaf and servant-leadership during my time at Men's Wearhouse, the men's clothing giant. Founder and CEO George Zimmer is a servant-leader, and believed strongly in service-based sales. I consider this time to be my postgraduate work, and it helped codify my beliefs and sales philosophy. Since then I have constantly refined my philosophy, seeking always to serve others better.

As I noted earlier, True Service is the implementation of servant-leadership principles in a sales environment. True Service puts the customer's needs first. In virtually every sales situation, the customer has a problem. My job is to solve that problem, whether it be a need for new clothes, pet care products for a new puppy, a vacation they can afford, or the most cost-effective renovations for their home. My first concern, then, is to help the customer solve their problem.

True Service treats the customer like another human being. They aren't prospects, or targets, or marks. They certainly aren't walking piggy banks from which I can take money. They're people, just like me. When you recognize this basic fact, then help another person solve a problem, it just feels good. It may sound simple, but it's still true: Helping others feels good. When you experience that feeling, you want to feel it again, so you naturally continue to serve others.

True Service understands that when you put the needs of others at the top of your priority list, others will appreciate your efforts. They will continue to do business with you because it feels better than the alternatives. They will tell all their friends about their experience, and encourage them to do business with you. It becomes a never-ending circle of doing the right thing - because it's the right thing - and being rewarded for it in spiritual and material terms, then wanting to repeat the results by continuing to serve others.

Looking back over my decades of business, I know that True Service is the reason for my success. I know that by using the True Service philosophy I have created a far more fulfilling and enjoyable life. At the same time, I've made more money than if I had been concerned only with myself. I also know that anyone can repeat my success. All you have to do is enter every situation with one thought in mind - to serve the other person's needs to the best of your ability.

As a salesman, manager and business consultant, I am a servant first - servant always, echoing Greenleaf's imperative and underlining it in my own way. I hope that this article, as with all of my work, has served you well. In fact, I hope that I have offered you a bit of True Service.

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