The greatest business deal in history!

Well, it's true what I am about to tell you is a great business deal, it was not high profile, it never made or lost a fortune.

But, I am certain it has several things in common with the deals in world history that made fortunes, and perhaps, built entire civilizations.

It isn't about the story, what is important here, is the concept!

Roughly a decade ago my father enlisted my help to remove a few cubic yards of coal from a basement. He had received a phone call from a man who knew my father was a blacksmith who used coal for forging hot metal into knives, and other tools and products.

My father was ecstatic about the "deal" he had struck, $150 and he could take all the coal he wanted. I was not excited, but I agreed to help.

We arrived to a fairly upscale home on a rural road outside our northern Minnesota home town, the site was abuzz with activity. Men carrying materials, power tools whirring, and the constant and stern communication of men directing other men like a commanding officer of a military unit. We met with the man doing most of that communicating within a few moments, his stern look slowly replaced with a smile.

"How are you?" he asked my father and I, and pointed in the direction of the heaping pile of coal in the basement.

I began hauling it away into our vehicle by the bucket full while he and my father talked a while, my father handed over the money.

After several quite dirty, sweaty hours of playing 'coal miner' we arrived home, filthy and tired, with more work still ahead of us as we had to unload.

And then my dirty coal soot covered eyes were opened, I and my father had been conned. The greatest con ever, that man my father spoke with didn't own the home, he was hired to remove the coal. He charged my father money because he knew he wanted it and could remove it, and he was paid by the homeowner...I was livid.

I was inventing new curse words when it had occurred to me what had happened, that man got paid twice for a job he didn't even do! I tried explaining it to my father, he insisted the deal he got was phenomenal, and that he couldn't be happier, he couldn't see that he could have been paid to take the coal had he realized what was happening, and in the end had more money in his pocket and the coal.

He still couldn't see it, he couldn't believe that he had lost the deal he didn't even know was right in front of him. He couldn't wrap his head around someone more clever than himself, and because of that, he failed to learn anything from the experience.

Looking back on it now I realize I wasn't swindled, the man saw an opportunity to make money, and like the magical business warlock he was that day, he did. But just in case you are missing the point of all this, i'll break it down from you.

1) The business man noticed a potential solution/opportunity before a problem.

2) He had a broad network of acquaintances and knew how to recognize a potential product by knowing the customer.

3) Found a way for everyone to win. (Even me, because I apply this lesson to my own business, I'm not too proud to learn from someone smarter or more experienced.)

My father was delighted he purchased the coal inexpensively, the contractor got paid from the homeowner who was thrilled to remove it from his basement, and the contractor who acted brilliantly, got paid twice to do less work.

While it may only be a microcosm of the multi billion dollar deals in our news headlines, great business people are doing exactly this, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.