Bob Burg on Go Givers Sell More Part 1
Today on The Bigg Success Show, we were happy to visit with one of our favorite authors, Bob Burg. Bob is the co-author of Go Givers Sell More which is the follow-up to his best-selling book, The Go-Giver.
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Last time we talked, Bob, you told us about the five laws of stratospheric success from The Go-Giver, which is told in story form. You expand on those principles in this book.
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Instead of writing a parable or a sequel – which will probably come next year – we took the five laws of stratospheric success that you mentioned and geared them specifically to the selling process.
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But from what we’ve seen, you don’t have to be in sales for this to be applicable.
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I agree with you. I think any sound principle or universal law pretty much applies across the board – whether you’re talking about success in terms of financial, physical, spiritual, mental, emotional or social. Principles are principles. While applications might change depending upon the medium or what you’re trying to accomplish, the basic rule always holds true.
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What sales is and what it isn’t
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Bob, we often hear people say "I could never do sales" or "I'm no good at sales." Why is that?
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Well, most people look at sales backwards. Now that wouldn’t be a problem if it was just the consumer who looked at sales backwards. A good salesperson could educate them. The real challenge is that most salespeople look at sales backwards as well. That’s a problem when the people doing it don’t feel as though they can take pleasure in calling themselves a salesperson because of the negative connotation involved. People may see sales as convincing people to buy something they don’t want to buy. But it isn’t. It’s about learning what people do want to buy and helping them get it. We might think it’s about taking advantage of others while, in fact, it’s all about giving people more advantage. But the greatest inversion of all – the upside down misconception about sales – is that it is an effort to get something from others. In truth, sales at its best – when it’s most effective and profitable – is precisely the opposite. It’s all about giving. The Old English root of the word “sell” is “sellan” which literally means “to give”. So what are you giving when you’re selling? You’re giving time, attention, counsel, education, empathy and, most of all, value. That’s what selling really is – providing value through your product or service.
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Selling is the same, whether online or off
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Along the way, Bob, did we take a detour where we focus on the process and the techniques and put that above the person with whom we’re trying to build a relationship?
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Selling at its core is not a business transaction. It’s first and foremost the forging of a human connection. The same principles hold true whether it’s in-person or online. All things being equal, people will do business with and refer people to people they know, like and trust. The internet is simply another way to form those relationships. It’s no better or worse. It’s just as valuable if it’s done correctly. With social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, you can meet people that you never would have met before. And you’re able to establish deeper relationships with them when it’s done correctly. When people use it just as a mechanism for a quick sale, that’s the same thing as going into a Chamber of Commerce event and saying: “Hi, my name’s Joe. Here’s my card. Do you want to buy something from me?” It doesn’t work there and it won’t work online either.
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You can download a free chapter of Go Givers Sell More so you can see for yourself why we highly recommend Bob’s book.
Next time, we’ll continue our conversation with Bob See Part 2 and Part 3). He’ll tell us about a common obstacle people in sales face and put to rest a common misunderstanding about Go Givers that will help you sell more.
Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00559-030210.mp3
