Offers and Offerings. Honest, which is yours?

I was on my way to the art supply store over the weekend with my son.

Close to 6th St. on the north side of a rapidly gentrifying stretch of Market St. in San Francisco, I spied this. Take a peek.

Immediate love. The deep intelligence with which the artist placed the tall columnar figure against the edge of the building, the inky black hair against the white wall, the lively geometric shapes, and the white line, thinly drawn, that breaks up the gold dress.

Deeper love. Those origami-like forms in the cupped hands, outstretched. Objects carried in such a way that they appear fragile or precious.

Passing on the way back home and with my son as my lookout (it’s a lively block), I took photos. Later in the day, I posted one to Instagram, with the caption “Offering.”

That got me thinking, a lot. About
offerings ("a thing offered, especially as a gift or contribution”) and
offers ("a thing produced for entertainment or sale”).*

For each, we extend our hand out to the world and say “here.” 

Your session, your program, your service, your keynote—these are all offers. Things produced for sale (and found on your sales page) that promise real results (more revenue, ease, confidence, control, or opportunity; less time, hassle, stress, churn or waste).

What’s been on my mind lately?

How to infuse the first (the offering) into the second (the offer).

And how to see an offering and an offer not as distinct entities, but as two complementary facets of that “thing" that we offer to the world.

The answer?

I think it comes down to devotion. 

Devotion to your idea, and to your audience that is going to benefit from it. And devotion means action.

To what and to whom are you devoting your time today, this week, this month, this year? And why? Look there.

So for this week: What do you feel so devoted to that you want to put on offer?

p.s.: I invite you to follow me on instagram. I’m going to be on the lookout for more: #devotionoffering

*p.p.s.: for the fine-tuned wordsmiths, I know some use the word “offerings" to mean a collection of things “for sale.” I’m cleaving offer apart from offering here because it’s a useful thought experiment that can let you see your business in a new light.