Great books are not just made, they are born from knowledge and experience. Bob Burg and John David Mann, have done a fabulous job of creating value and closing the sale in their 2 amazing books:
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
Many lessons and concepts are shared through parable and real life examples with great content and food for thought. Making a difference in today’s world is all about creating value and these authors definitely resonated with me. If you want to experience stratospheric success, these 2 books are must read!
My greatest takeaways and how they apply to you are:
1. Create Value. If you focus on creating value for your prospects and customers, they will be your raving fans and tell others about you. Your focus needs to be, “How can I best serve?” or “How can I help you?” and doing so in such a fashion that you are not expecting anything in return but know that someday and someone will do the same for you.
2. Meet People Where They are AT. People may find your product or service expensive. Show empathy and compassion by meeting them where they are at. Everyone does not define value in the same way. Avoid listing of all the features, they are important to you and not necessarily important to your customer. Start thinking of how your product or service aligns with what your customer values and believes in. Paraphase what they just said or objected to, “So you think this ___________ product (or service) is too expensive? Gain an understanding of where they are at and what value they would expect from paying the price of a product or service similar to yours. People want to know what is in it for them and that they will get value from doing business with you.
3. No Pressure Sales. Basically, if they want to buy your product or service they will. Let your customer and prospect decide. Learn what your customer is looking for and why. You may even refer them to a competitor who specializes in what they are looking for. Who is best to serve your customer? They will remember how you helped them and tell others about you. Give them the option to walk away from the sale. Pressure only makes you look desperate for the sale! Maybe your product or service is not what is best for them. That’s okay – there is someone who is waiting for you to share it with them.
4. Say Less, Communicate More. You may have heard the saying, “God gave you 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.” Listen to your customer and hear what their needs are. Often, we can be waiting for the pause in conversation to share our story and what we think would be a benefit to them without truly listening and hearing what is being said. You will learn many of your customers dreams and desires if you only listen.
5. Allow Yourself to Give and Receive Freely. I had someone drop a line on my Facebook page to say that Bob describes a situation of breathing out continuously. Imagine – breathing out continuously – at some point you will need to take a breathe. There is a flow to giving and receiving just like there is to breathing in and out. When someone gives to you or you give to someone else, allow yourself to both give and receive, acknowledge and appreciate the other person for the gift. A gift can be a compliment, a smile, a suggestions, or a material item. Be open to receiving because you are also getting!
There are so many more valuable sales nuggets in these books. These nuggets of information are not only good for sales but apply to all relationships in general. If you follow the Laws of Stratospheric Success, not only will you skyrocket your business but you will live Rich from the Inside Out!!
Debra, thank you so very much for your kind review/post regarding John David Mann’s and my book. I’m very honored and gratified to know you found it to be of sufficient value to share with your readers.
If I may offer a quick thought: in terms of your interpretation of Law #1 you wrote:
“Your focus needs to be, “How can I best serve?” or “How can I help you?” and doing so in such a fashion that you are not expecting anything in return but know that someday and someone will do the same for you.”
I love what you wrote in terms of building a relationship with someone you’ve just met. However, in concluding with “someday and someone will do the same for you” it sounds as though one might simply be depending on something mysterious and magical and “far off into the future.” I feel the need to delve a bit further here, if I may.
Really, there are two types of situations where providing value results in financial growth for you. One is immediate and the other – while, by its very nature is over a bit more time – doesn’t necessarily need to be particularly distant.
1. The excellent value you are providing to your customer or client. Like the characters in the book, they provided exceptional value in terms of their products, services, buying experience. One immutable economic law is that people will exchange their money for that which is (to them) of equal or GREATER value (to them) than the money they are exchanging it for. The result is that they are very happy with the exchange and you have made a profit (Law 5, which – as you pointed out – is Receptivity, or “breathing in”).
2. Providing value to others through ways that are not directly related to business, but might include connecting them with others, providing them with information they can use in their life, a referral, etc. The business that will come your way because of it is not typically based on some random “karmaic” event but on how far your influence has spread via your willingness and ability to provide value to others. You’ve planted so many seeds of goodwill that the world has now become a “benevolent context” for your success.
I mention these only because – while I know you did not at all intend it this way – with a title like “The Go-Giver” there can be a tendency of those who have not read the book (and, even some who have) to see this as something that – well, if you just do enough nice things, then magically, good things will happen to you. It’s really not like this. You are actively and consciously providing value to others and – in doing so, and while you are not “emotionally attached” to receiving or from whom you receive – you are creating that environment for a successful and profitable business.
Again, thank you so very much for your kind review of our book. Honored and grateful!
Bob
Thank you Bob for your kind words. There is nothing sweeter than having one of the authors expand a thought or clarify a statement. Definitely appreciated! Your book was something you can relate to, reason with, and respond proactively to. I do not want the readers to wait for the magic moment but to continue to sow the seeds of their success! These books are must if you want to grow your business!