Go-Givers Sell More

Both The Go-Givers and the Go-Givers Sell More, as simple as they are, made a very big impact on me. Easy reads. Can't put them down. Perfect timing for starting a new year, and planning to grow our businesses.

If you have a sales team, this is the book for you. Take some time and go through it with them.
If you sell... Read this book.
If you don't sell for a living, I'd still take the time to read this. Life and relationship lessons abound!

This book is almost the same book as the first. The only difference is that it breaks the method of selling down for you. I honestly wish I hadn't bought it had I known this beforehand because I could've gotten the same information right out of the first book. While it is a good book, there's no need to purchase it if you already have "The Go-Giver".

Go Givers Sell More is a very enlightening read. The principals stated in this book will not only help in the business of selling but will aid in every facit of your life. It's the most rewarding book I have read in my 40 years in sales. It's an easy and entertaining read. Thanks Bob Burg.

This is perhaps one of the most inspirational books about selling I've ever read. The concept: give to get. And you always will. I try to live by the message of this book every day. Very well written.

More rah-rah than helpful content. I have been to his seminar and the upsell to his more expensive offerings was high on the agenda. This book seems like more a tool to promote his authorship than offer anything new, even though I agree with the context a book on the subject seems unnecessary.

I loved the original Go-Giver book and this is a great companion or follow up to explain the principals with some real examples. It's a quick read and is the kind of book you immediately want to re-read for further comprehension...and then head out the door to put the principles to work. Highly recommend for any business or sales person. But principles apply to everyone.

Go Givers Sell more is a book beyond sales. In the first 40 pages you will realize that there are life lessons to learn from this book. It's a quick read . I bought six copies to hand out to some friends and business acquaintances. My four children will also receive a copy when I re-order. Also, I expect to "sell" this book to my training department for use with our sales organization and other functional areas of my company.

I fell upon Go Givers Sell More by accident. After reading it once and then re-reading it to actually practice what it said, I decided to highly recommend this little book to every member of my health coaching team. I do think that the title is not powerful enough for the gems it has inside. A must read for everyone...in business or not.

This book is the companion of "The Go-Giver". The Go-Giver Sells More is an example of the sequel being better than the original. It hones in on the concepts of The Go-Giver in a less cheesy, more credible way.

This book explains and elaborates on The Go-Giver. It demonstrates how focusing on giving to others or adding value to others is not only the right human thing to do, but the right business thing to do. I underlined a zillion quotes in this book because there was so much content that really resonated with my heart and challenged my thinking. This is really good stuff.

In December of 2007, I reviewed a business parable called The Go-Giver - and you can read my recommendation here.

I've known for over a year that a sequel was coming, titled Go-Givers Sell More. The book has just been published and I just received a copy. I was in-the-know about the title, but not clear on the content. This book isn't a sequel, in that it extends the story of the first book, or is a story at all. Rather, it is a tightly written book full of great advice, counsel and approaches that are based on the concepts of The Go-Giver cast into the world of sales.

The premise of the initial book, "Shifting your focus from getting to giving is not only a very nice way to live life and conduct business, but a very profitable one as well" is expanded and made even more practical for anyone who sells (which is all of us) in this book.

Each chapter is short and could be read as a standalone bite. These chapters are categorized into "The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, which are:

The Law of Value
The Law of Compensation
The Law of Influence
The Law of Authenticity
The Law of Receptivity

This categorization makes sense and ties this volume back to the initial book as well. I have not yet read the entire book, as I just received my copy last evening. I can say that I have read more than enough to recommend it whole-heartedly, and I can say with confidence that before you read this, I will have completed the book.

With any book in a series the first question people ask is, "Do I need to read the first to gain value from the second?" While a valid question, this book ties the two together without making assumptions that you have read the first. Perhaps you were aware of The Go-Giver but aren't a fan of the parable/novel format. If so, I strongly encourage you to read this as the content is excellent and written in a format more useful for you.

On the other hand if you like the parable approach, I recommend you buy not just this book, but The Go-Giver as well. I will likely go back and re-read it after finishing this wonderful little book.

Go-Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann (Portfolio published by the Penguin Group, 2010) reviewed by Steve Gladis, Ph.D. (For an extended review also, see: [...])

In an episode of Seinfeld, my all-time favorite sitcom, George Costanza starts doing the opposite of what "old George" would do, because whatever old George did, it never worked out the way he wanted. The minute he starts doing the opposite of what he would have done, George meets with success. Go-Givers Sell More preaches rather convincingly that George was right. The authors of a previous giant best selling business fable, The Go-Giver, Burg and Mann have created a sales manual for every person who wants to provide a product or service for fee. The trick is never to sell...do the opposite--give. Start with value, don't end with it. Talk less, listen more. Ask what you can do--not if they'll buy your product or service. Their model is the opposite of the old sales model that had sales people prospect, qualify, present to them, and finally close the deal. Rather, their sales model is to create value, touch people's lives, build networks, be real and stay open. There are Five Laws of Stratospheric Success: The Laws of Value, Compensation, Influence, Authority, and Receptivity. Why am I so passionate about this? Because it works! I've practiced an iteration of this model for years, but these guys have given it structure, definition, and legitimacy. It's a book I'll be buying for a number of my friends.

Most successful sales people understand the importance of providing "value" for their customers; that's really what it's all about. Forget about the stereotypical image of the high pressure, irritating sales person, who uses every trick in the book to close the deal, with little or no regard for the customer's best interest. That approach doesn't cut it anymore. If you don't know how to engage the customer in the proper manner - by providing genuine value for them - you don't stand much of a chance for long-term survival in the highly competitive 21st century sales environment. Try another occupation; maybe a government job is right up your alley.

Two guys who clearly understand this philosophy are the authors of this book - Bob Burg and John David Mann. If you've already read their previous work, The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea, you'll probably agree that this is the perfect follow-up; a powerful and effective sales tool that can help anyone maximize their productivity in any endeavor.

You don't have to necessarily be a "sales person", per se, to benefit from the strategies presented here; that's where the real value lies for just about anyone to benefit from. This will certainly appeal to a broad-based audience; if you haven't already decided to get your very own copy, I highly recommend you do so now.

Hurry, while supplies last.

A reminder that by giving, you receive. Bob Burg and John David Mann wrote a follow up to "Go Givers", where the principles are expanded and expounded on. The general premise is that success in sales isn't based on the ability of someone to sell, but on the long term approach to giving and solving problems for the customer.

The authors outline "Five Laws of Stratospheric Success":

*Law Of Value - your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment

*Law of Compensation - Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

*Law of Influence - Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other perople's interests first.

*Law of Authenticity - The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

*Law of Receptivity - The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

The authors then discuss each of these five laws in detail, with great stories and examples. The concepts make sense, are practical, and really do work. If you want a great, easy to read insight into human interaction - not just sales - this book should be on your list.

In the network marketing profession, most top-performing teams have their own "Top 20" recommended reading lists for members of their growing communities, and in those lists you will typically find at least 15 books on people skills. After all, developing your people skills is what creates the biggest long-term results. Today you'll find "The Go-Giver" on nearly every successful team's list in the "people and relationship skills" category, next to such classics as Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich."

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard a companion to the Go-Giver was in the works. Yet I have to admit, at first the title was a turn-off for me: "Go-Givers Sell More". "Sales," I thought. "Ugh, not another how-to sales book." Had the wonderfully pure, true Go-Giver philosophy turned to the dark side?

When I think sales, I think of Blake, the ruthless Alec Baldwin character in David Mamet's award-winning film Glengarry Glen Ross, brought in from downtown to motivate the lackluster sales team:

"Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers."
"... Only one thing counts in this life: get them to sign on the line which is dotted!"
"ABC--A: always, B: be, C: closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!"

Exactly the kind of thing that makes so many people dread sales and salesmen.

So it was purely out of my respect for John David Mann and Bob Burg, along with my love of The Go-Giver, that I went ahead and cracked open "Go-Givers Sell More"--and I couldn't put the book down. Although I had vowed not to write in the advance copy I'd received (I figured, like it or not, it would be a collector's edition), I found myself underlining entire paragraphs and adding stars, notes and exclamation points in the margins. As I read, my mind was buzzing with these new and far better ways to present the idea of sales to our community.

The information the authors present is 100 percent counterintuitive to the vast majority of books and seminars on sales. Yet the philosophies outlined so clearly in "Go-Givers Sell More" are exactly those at the core of all super-successful sales leaders I know. But here's the catch: most of them have a hard time putting what they do into words. And that's the magic of the "Go-Givers Sell More". In its 180 easy-to-read pages, John David Mann and Bob Burg communicate what is at the core of sales at its most effective, most fulfilling and highest values. I have a feeling everyone will find "Go-Givers Sell More" a much-needed and much-appreciated breath of fresh air--well, everyone except Blake.

You might be wondering, "Okay, so it's a nice philosophy--but does it really work?" There's only one way to find out. Read "Go-Givers Sell More" yourself and personally implement what you read there in your business. You'll be more than pleasantly surprised.

I've already added "Go-Givers Sell More" to our Team's Top 20 list--and choosing a book to knock off that list to make room for this one was truly tough, because all twenty are tremendous books!

Go Givers Sell More will turn the sales world as you know it upside down for some people. The ironic thing is many sales people most likely are already following these principals in their career. This book will solidify that - the concept operates out of the best interest for the customer, and never the sales person. I've worked more toward being an 'non-biased independent consultant' rather than a pushy sales person the last few years and it has paid many dividends.

I always appreciate a good MacGuffin, even though I didn't know what a MacGuffin was before reading this book. The distinction Burg and Mann makes between a MacGuffin and what really matters has given me a whole new way of looking at what I sell, why and how I do it. Thanks for being go givers in sharing such practical wisdom about how to practice the moral and ethical values that make a difference. We named our new puppy MacGuffin after reading Go Givers Sell More.

Along the lines of Adam Grant's "Give and Take" or Spence and Rushing's "It's Not what You Sell, It's What You Stand For", Burg and Mann make it clear that the flow of giving and receiving makes the wheels of commerce turn in a different direction than typical "how to sell more stuff" books. No tricks here about how to act nice in order to get a return on the effort. Go Givers Sell More describes solid values of generosity, respect, integrity and justice. The authors do this without being moralistic or naive. They go beyond philosophizing to share practical advice that can be useful in any mutual exchange.

The way go givers sell is so different from normal salesmanship that it deserves a different name. Their integration of concern for others and self interest challenges strong assumptions that both cannot coexist. The bridge between the two built by Burg and Mann will reform the nature of sales, especially direct sales by word of mouth for anyone who listens to what they have to say.

Following the principles of Go Givers requires courage and confidence in the power of good will. Some will not have the patience, humility or willingness to sacrifice needed to know the power of being a go giver. But for those who do, selling can become a joyful, simple and profitable transaction. This book is worth a second read because it contradicts the prevalent spirit of commercialism and greed.

The stories used make the message clear and convincing. Every page adds something essential to the whole picture without repetition or a chance to be bored. Reading Go Givers Sell More will breathe new life into your MacGuffin.

It's not about you, it's about them.

Burg and Mann hammer this point in so much that you'll never look at sales the same way again. Worried about what people will think of you? It's not about you. Wondering if you'll make the sale this time? It's not about you.

This practical manual is designed to change your thinking and your actions towards an agenda of giving to others. Ultimately, this focus on adding value to people is what will sell your prospects on you as a salesperson. Once they believe, like, and trust you, you will have 'opened' the person rather than 'closed' them, and this is what makes a sale possible.

The authors promote a belief in abundance and giving, which is fantastic. I would have liked to have seen more practical ideas on deciding who to trust with different things, but the book does not suffer from lacking this information. Action still gives us the best decision making skills, which is another point the authors deliver well.

Personally, I have held three sales jobs in the past. One was selling life insurance, another was in real estate, and the third is my current position writing and selling my own books. I have read many good books on sales, yet Go Givers Sell More has by far been the most helpful.

As people have pulled back their spending in this economic crisis and have become more selective about what they buy, in some areas there's been an increase in cut-throat approaches, highly competitive tactics, and what can only be called "fighting" over customers and revenue.

In my many years in business, my experiences have continued to demonstrate that you get more by giving, reap more by sharing, and benefit in immeasurable ways by partnering and supporting the business people around you. I can honestly say that this book is one I might have written myself and it includes lessons that I believe anyone in sales needs to learn.

This book builds on Bob and John's previous book The Go-Giver, which I reviewed when it came out. Once again, the authors highlight that giving - being a "giver" - not only feels better and will consistently leave you feeling more fulfilled, it is the truest and most concrete path to incredible success.

This time around they provide practical tips on how to be more of a "Go-Giver" in your own life and in your business. This book is a guide to incorporate a giving attitude into your approach to selling. Their chapters cover basics on building trust and cultivating relationships, with increased sales and higher job satisfaction being the welcome side effect.

The book is relatively short, easy-to-read, and organized into chapters with short titles like Your Pitch and Silence. I would recommend this book for anyone who finds they secretly think that you have to be pushy to be successful in sales. Even if they are words you wouldn t say out loud, if they ever nag at you, this book and implementing the suggestions in it is the antidote.

Bob Burg and John David Mann have written the ultimate sales book. Why? Because this book (Go Givers Sell More) undoes all the techniques, gimmicks, and otherwise snarky strategies that have given sales a bad name, and goes to the core of how to think about and BE effective in making a difference for people. This book really does look at the critical mindsets necessary to add value to both your prospective customers and your bottom line simultaneously. Bob and John David have done a much better job than I did at articulating the essential mindsets that will allow you to sell with integrity and ease.

I had read their first one: The Go-Giver, which is an easy read and a lovely parable. It makes great points and gets the message across, but the second book goes more deeply to the core of what matters and how to do it. It is not required reading that you read The Go-Giver prior to reading Go-Givers Sell More, you will still get tremendous value from the new book. And, if you only want to get one book and are deciding between the two, DEFINITELY go for the Go Givers Sell More option.

I can honestly say that even though I wrote a book about business development**, I saw huge increases to my customer base during and after reading this little green book. By being a go-giver you will seal the deal faster, bigger, and better than ever before!

**Seal the Deal: The Essential Mindsets for Growing Your Professional Services Business

Some salespeople will see this book and say,
"Yeah, right ... this nicey-nice go-giving mentality and approach to sales couldn't possibly work."
Those folks may very well find themselves on a hamster wheel for the rest of their selling careers, never really building anything.

More than karma, this is about sociology; humanness.
For those who already embody -- or will make the commitment to embrace -- these principles, they are guaranteeing themselves total success -- success on every possible level.

If you look over the chapter titles...
If you look over the chapter titles and feel resonance, you're going to LOVE this book. If instead you feel resistance, you NEED this book. Either way, sounds like you oughta BUY this book ;)

Mr. Burg hits a home run with all his books, but this one is extra-special. Relationship building is an art, but Bob's new book takes it to the next level. It seems simple and self explanatory, but people who just try to sell something, and don't build solid relationships by helping people get what they want and need, always fail in the end. The more we give and help people the more trust is built and the more people will buy from us. Simple, but so true. Good Read! Kip Marlow, author of The Entrepreneurs: Success and Sacrifice

Another Phenomenal book, I read it in one sitting. Excellent! I appreciate the clean thinking, sage and simplistic advice. This book turns strategies from “want-to” to “how-to”. I own the full collection of the Go Giver series and I value each book and refer to them regularly. ?????

The book clearly shows that it is more productive when sales representatives think like givers, and focus on creating value for the buyers. Finally, great results will follow! The distinguished authors suggest many useful strategies that sales professionals can apply right away. Certainly, a good understanding of the factors that affect behaviours and purchasing would help salespeople be more successful! I absolutely recommend this book.

The essence of the Go-Giver philosophy is: the more you give, the more you have. Is it possible in SALES?? Yes! Go-Givers do sell more... this book will show you why and HOW! In sales, it's often seen as WIN-LOSE; salesperson wins, client loses. Not true! This book is an easy read, I read it in a day and it is now covered in highlighter. I also loved how it covers all parts of the sales relationship from networking and meeting people to closing and follow up with tons of true story examples. This is a must-have book for anyone who sells. For me personally, I am looking so forward to becoming a much better Go-Giver! (and selling more!)

Anyone who plans to build a business worth building will see the simple truth in what they say and enjoy the grace in how they "show" rather than "tell" us the essential points-- "Laws"-- they have defined. You will apply these lessons immediately. However, that is not my main point. This works for life as well. This is a true story.

Recently I had the choice as to how to handle a very hostile online message from a member who was furious. By her message I could see she had clearly misunderstood an earlier message. Having recently read this book, I asked myself how a "Go-Giver" would handle the situation. In so doing, I reacted by explaining the source of confusion. Once she understood I insisted she not suffer as I too have had my "moments". Then I offered her something for free. She replied with embarrassment, apology and gratitude and then explained that she had just learned that she had a terminal illness and had little time left to live. Because of my reply, thanks to this book and the first Go-Giver, we established a connection that I shall always appreciate. I am grateful to Bob and John. Enjoy both of these lovely, brief, powerful books for business and for life.

I was given this book to read by a friend and have to say the insight and thought processes are right on target. The products I sell tend to have a long sales cycle and my competitors have very similar products that perform equally as well as mine. The only thing to differenciate my products from theirs is the extra value I provide. While the book wasn't a revelation to me, as I already do many of these things, it certainly helped me refocus my efforts and gave insight into how I can apply these principals to the rest of my life and relationships.

As for the discenting reviews I examined it is clear that this book would be very poor for extremely short or high pressure sales cycles, such as telemarketing and car sales. There simply isn't enough time to build any rapport or relationship with your customers. Lets also be honest that nearly anyone can go out and get that one time sale but where we make the money is developing relationships and networks that keep our pipelines full and overflowing with referrals. These types of relationships are not only customers they are friends and that is really what makes us rich in the end.

If more salesprofessionals would sell like this book recommends then salesprofessionals lives would all be easier. It lays the foundation for an honest sales career that will be based around creating value and doing things in favor of the customer. I would much rather have a sales foundation built on creating value than being a smooth, slick, salesman who will sell a customer anything just to make a buck. I wish I would have had this book 11 years ago when I was in sales. I believe I would have alot more money than I do now.

"The Go-Giver" was a delightful story with a beautiful message; "Go-Givers Sell More" makes that message real and tangible. This is not just another "how to close the deal" sales book, but rather a treatise on the real meaning of success, and the best (or only) way to achieve meaningful success. Buy the book and put its lessons to work and I can safely predict that you will look back and say that it was one of the best investments you've ever made - not only in your career but in yourself.

The title could not be more appropriate, if you want to sell more, I would definitely recommend reading this book, but it is not just about selling more. I have been in sales for a long time, read many different books and been to many different types of training. The Go-Giver series is definitely different, it is not about close close close or when or how to say what -- it is about caring, value and people. The first "Go-Giver" book by Bob Burg and John David Mann, a great parable about a salesperson, really put the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success into play, which I've found when utilized made a tremendous impact not just in sales but all areas of life. With "Go Givers Sell More" Burg and Mann really kick it up a notch. This book combines the laws with actual real life examples and situations making it easier to hit sales home runs time after time using their advice. You are never left wondering "how could I actually apply this law?" But it is not just about selling more, it is about creating more impact and value for others (and yourself)....while selling more. This book gives you the opportunity to do just that.

There have plenty of books written with gargantuan pages and hardcover hype. This book is the opposite in appearance but packs an amazing punch. If you are a salesman, this is an amazingly valuable resource to learn from.

I have never considered myself much of a salesperson. Mostly because I always felt that there was something dishonest and rude about sales; that it sometimes involved convincing someone to purchase something they didn't want or need (or couldn't afford), and that in order to be good at sales I had to become the kind of person who would push products on people, whether I believed in the products or not, whether I thought the products would be helpful to them or not. (I once had a retail job where this definitely was the case.) I think on some level, I felt that sales was about gaining an advantage over another person, for my benefit and their loss.

"Go-Givers Sell More" completely transformed my outlook on sales. It gave me the necessary shift in focus to realize that sales is ultimately about helping people, and it made me feel more comfortable with selling. I read it right after I was laid off and it helped me recognize that I could "sell" myself in job interviews, without putting on any fronts (which made me feel more comfortable during interviews, and thus made me interview better).

"Go-Givers Sell More" is not just a book about sales for sales people. It's a book about building relationships with people, not in order to improve your business, but for the sake of having good relationships. I recommend this book to everyone!

Bob Burg does it again with his follow-up to the Go-Giver. Bob practices what he preaches and explains not only the importance of relationships, but how they can help build your business through endless referrals. I trust Bob for this information because he's willing to help others out for free, without asking for anything in return and the verdict is that he get's a lot in return! Buy this book now before your competition does.

This was hard to listen to on audio book. Not enough specifics, and I received more guidance from the Go Giver. Unfortunate, I had high hopes.

There were some items I disagreed with: Not asking directly for a referral, but asking for advice for the "Big Kahuna?" The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

I read a lot of books, but this is the best book I've read in a long time. The lesson of bringing value to others is the overall lesson of this book, but its principals should be practiced in all aspects of life. Read this, you won't be disappointed.

I was hooked when I read Bob and John first book the Go-Giver. This book really dives in the "how-to" in applying all the principals they teach in the first book. I love the fact that they incorporate real life stories, allowing you to relate quite easily. I will read this one many times :)

This is a fantastic book that wraps up business etiquette, rapport-building techniques, trust-building tips, customer service principles, and other effective communications strategies in one unique, fun, easy-to-read publication. A great resource for any sales professional, customer service provider, or entrepreneur.

Bob and John hit it out of the park again! This is a no-nonsense book that uncovers the strategies that work in sales today. I highly recommend this book and their earlier one, The Go-Giver.Go-Givers Sell MoreThe Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

I highly recommend this book. If you are in sales or starting your own business it does a wonderful job of framing how to serve the customer's needs. It is easy to talk about your product or service and not take the time to listen to the customer. In a world where customers can easily find it better, faster, and cheaper this books demonstrates the power of adding value and creating strong relationships that will grow your business.

Just a great story on giving.. This is so inspiring, if you want to get rid of all your self doubt, just read this, and give...I call this my little book of magic.. Its magic because it raises your spirt, and leaves you thinking if you are a giver, or a taker in life... Brilliant book.. Thank you for this gift!

Excellent advice for anyone who "sells" anything...which is literally everyone. If you have to sell your ideas to your family, you are in sales.

This series is excellent, and in their other two books, The Go-Giver and It's Not About You, you'll love the parable, and maybe even shed a few tears as you read inspiring stories that are highly relevant to today. If everyone applied these ideas, we'd have far fewer economic problems.

Innovative, timely, and very well presented, Go Givers Sell More redefines the sales process based on a new and strategic level of relationship building. Read it and use it... and you'll out-sell your competition.

This is an Amazing book that is not just about sales, but how to live your life! It is a great reminder to be companionate, humane and grateful! Inspiring and uplifting! Not just for the salesperson!

This book is one of many out there that takes the "rough and tumble" out of hard work. If only we could wish things...they would magically happen. Isn't that a nice thought? It may be nice, but it's also b.s. If Go-Givers Sell More than why aren't the majority of Go-Givers Rich? This is simply another way to emmasculate male salesmen into acting like women. Just because you treat the customer like Gold and make it all about them does not mean you will sell more. This is simply Hocus Pocus for adults. It's hard to believe either of these authors actually sell on a day to day basis.