The book, Think and Grow Rich, was basically commissioned by Andrew Carnegie and consequently, Carnegie is mentioned a lot in it.  As I re-read the book, it reminded me of when I read Carnegie’s autobiography many years ago, and there is one thing that I will always remember about it. Carnegie repeatedly said that one of the reasons for his success was that he was “always there.” By that he meant that he would follow-up and follow-through on everything, and like a true guerrilla he would be there when decisions were made. One of the examples he gives that was a significant point in his career happened in the mid 1800’s.  He was in Pittsburgh and submitted a proposal for the steel to be used for a bridge in the upper Midwest. He took a train to the bid opening; remember this is just before the Civil War. He was the only supplier at the opening and when the specs changed that day, he was able to change his proposal and won the business. In today’s business, especially on government projects, that probably could not happen. The point is the fact that he was there, and “being there” was one of the keys he attributed to his incredible success.

Think about that the next time someone says “send us a proposal.”  If you have an option, always make extra effort to be there.