It was during one of my random scrolling moments on Monday that I came across a snippet of an interview with American rapper Rick Ross, talking about a lesson his mother taught him.

He said, “She comes from a living where you can’t play with that. These people don’t make 30k a year. So instead of sitting at the crib, keep moving. These ain’t guaranteed, son.”

So I applied this to my heart and told myself, you know what, we’re not going to leave any money on the table. If we’re doing business, we will find a way to make it work.

If I told you I needed 100 and you came in and told me you had 40, I would tell you to leave the 40 on the table so we can find a way to work out the 60. We will find a way to make that happen because if you make that a habit, imagine how much you would have made over 20 years. “My old girl gave me the whole idea.”

I replayed the clip more than three times. The next day, a client called requesting that I facilitate a business deal for her through my GS Concierge Ltd. She said I should tell her clients in Ghana that she could only afford 60 percent of the original amount for three items. She added that she would ensure to recommend other clients for their services.

I took the deal. I went back to the clients and explained the situation. Initially, they didn’t want to buy into the idea. They wanted their 100 percent payment; if not, the deal was off. I took my time to explain to them, with all clarity, about not leaving any money on the table.

At that point, they were supposed to try and figure out how to make the 40 back while holding on to the 60. Not letting the 60 go, in this case, is the right thing to do — only because there have been instances where, on several occasions, these clients have allowed not just 60s but 90s and even 95 to go because it was not 100 percent.

Think about all the money you’ve left on the table?

After a long pause, I said, well, this year, I have decided not to leave any money on the table. We take it, or I give the deal to someone else who is willing to work out the other percentage while holding on to what has been offered.

When you go to our markets, people complain about how foreigners are “diluting the market” by, in many cases, reducing the prices of products just to sell faster. Guess what? They are the most patronised. Why? Because they have adopted the concept of not leaving any money on the table.

Inasmuch as I agree that this concept wouldn’t work for everyone or every business, I believe some people can decide to start from somewhere. Don’t miss your daily bread because you have decided not to figure out how to work out the other percentage. Stay content and consistent.

Happy New Year!

Keepers of the gate of wisdom, kindly let me in. Share your thoughts and experiences here with me — especially the business-oriented: should we or should we not leave any money on the table this year?

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The author, Rebecca Tweneboah Darko (Becky), is an entertainment journalist with The Multimedia Group. The views expressed in the article are her own and do not reflect the sentiments of the institution.