The Go-Giver is a book by Bob Burg and John David Mann which tells the story of a guy named Joe and his mentor, Pindar. The story teaches principles of success, a bit like the lessons in Fish, and Gung Ho. Though the book is only 170 pages long, the message is powerful. In a nutshell, to succeed in business, focus not on what you want to achieve but on what you can and should give to clients.
Bob and John insist that their book does not reveal a new secret for success, neither does it introduce a new concept. Rather, it shares an old secret in a new way.
When applied to business, I think the five laws of the Go-Giver help to achieve higher revenue and more loyal clients, compared to the more common manipulation and tricks that are bandied around as secrets of success. Imagine the psyche of a sales team that has been fired up with the words “go give” and contrast that with a team that is being fired up to “go hit the numbers”!
What are the 5 laws of the Go-Giver?
1. The Law of Value
“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” Instead of being focused on yourself and what you can get, focus on bringing value to the customer and the marketplace. People don’t buy from you because of your sales targets; they buy when they believe that they will be better off for it.
2. The Law of Compensation
“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.” Money is an echo of value. The more people you can (consistently) give value to, the more monetary reward you will get.
3. The Law of Influence
“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.” Get people to know you, like you and trust you, and they will become loyal customers and refer you to others. What your competition does ceases to matter because people believe in what you have and make repeat purchases. But a warning from the authors: if you think you can use shortcuts to trick people into trusting you, you are in for a rude shock!
4. The Law of Authenticity
“The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.” Everyone has some market value, and you need to leverage on that which is yours; your unique skills, traits, strengths, and characteristics that allow you to bring value to clients. The challenge we often face is that we feel inadequate and instead of being authentic, we put on an act. We try to imitate someone else or someone’s style. Ever heard the term “fake it till you make it”? In the Go-Giver story, Joe needed Pindar to help him discover and embrace his unique strengths and qualities, and leverage those for a competitive edge. You too might need a mentor to help you identify your market value and believe in your gifts.
5. The Law of Receptivity
“The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.” Often, we are uncomfortable with receiving. We love being a cheerful giver or a generous giver, but when other people try to give us, we tell them how they ‘shouldn’t go out of their way.’ When someone pays you a compliment, don’t you prefer to downplay whatever it is that they’re appreciating? The law of receptivity encourages you to snap out of that habit. Allow others to give to you. After all, every time you receive, you give other people the pleasure of giving.
Parting shot
Whether you are a freelancer, a business owner, a banker, or in any other profession, try practicing the Go-Giver principles in your business for success and fulfillment. If you haven’t yet read it, get the kindle version from Amazon today. Post navigation