How to Become a Hero: You Are the Champion the World is Waiting For

I received an email two weeks ago from a young woman overseas. "This is Ting from China," it began. She had gotten a copy of my book Get Clients NOW!, which was translated into Chinese a couple of years ago, and summoned up enough courage to write the author. "I work for a factory specialized in producing flashing antenna," she wrote, "and I should find the oversea customers... but no one tell me what I should do." It seems that Ting had been trying to find buyers for her factory's product -- flashing antennas for cell phones -- by searching for companies on Yahoo and emailing them. But no one was answering her emails. Ting asked, "Could you give me some advise?"

I emailed her back with some suggestions, she responded with more questions, and in our dialogue, more of Ting's story emerged. She is a recent college graduate from a poor family, and has taken this job with the electronics factory to help support her family. But, "I am not a worldly girl," she told me, "and know little about the oversea market... I always at a loss what I should do." Ting has an important job to do, and desperately wants to succeed at it -- for herself, for her family, and for the success of her factory -- but she has been given no training, no tools, and no budget to do it with. When I suggested that letters sent by mail would have a better chance of being read than her emails, her request to do so was denied by management. "The capital of our factory are [not] considerable," she wrote me, "they do not accept my ideal." But Ting didn't give up. If "I only write email," she wrote, "give me some advise what is the effective way."

I drafted a sales letter for her and sent it back with some suggestions about strategy. Ting responded with her thanks: "Since I known you, I became confident, I am confident I can do the job well with your help... I will work hard to learn how to get clients. I belive there is a will there is a way."

Perhaps to Ting, I am now her hero. But to me, Ting is the hero in this story. Confused, scared, and concerned for her future and her family, instead of declaring her task impossible and giving up, she asked for help. She reached out to a complete stranger who she had no reason to believe would even respond. She has acted immediately on every shred of advice I shared with her, even when it took her way out of her comfort zone. I don't know how successful Ting will ultimately be at selling flashing antennas, but I know she will succeed at something in her life, because she will just keep trying until she does.

In my model for heroism, four of the essential qualities are serving others, perseverance, courage, and resourcefulness. Ting has got everything it takes. And by the way, if you know anyone who could use a few hundred flashing cell phone antennas, I have a great source.

Labels: hero stories, heroism

This is Ting from China

Tea party for heroes