Published February 12th, 2012 by
Bob Burg 
From time to time, John or I will receive a letter from a reader of The Go-Giver asking for advice on applying the principles; usually within the context of frustration at dealing with people who are not Go-Givers.
Typically, at the root of the challenge is an underlying false premise, thus the name of a two-part post with that right in the title.
Just recently, we received an email like this, and we hope the response will help you if you face a similar challenge. (Of course, we received the writer’s permission to print his letter, and we have disguised or deleted any details that could possibly reveal his identity or location.)
He writes:
The sales profession is very interesting. I’ve tried hard to be “Mr. Nice Guy,” a “Go-Giver,” and to focus on helping others. What’s interesting is how some customers will try to take advantage of me (and our company). Often they exaggerate or outright lie, make promises they don’t keep, and in general treat me like dirt. (I’m sure they treat all “salespeople” like that. I don’t take it personally.)
There are days when I feel like, “Okay, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I will just sell them and won’t care so much.” I’m trying to decide on which “sales personality” to adopt: Nice guy or hardass. My natural personality is “Nice Guy,” but I’m getting tired of being run around and taken advantage of.
May I ask for your thoughts about this? Any advice?
My response: While I’m very sorry about what you are experiencing, this one is pretty easy to answer.
You may be confusing being a Go-Giver with being a “nice guy” who allows himself to be treated poorly and taken advantage of. In fact, being a Go-Giver means no such thing. And being a “nice guy” should never (let’s make that NEVER) be confused with allowing oneself to be taken advantage of or treated poorly or disrespectfully in any way.
Being a Go-Giver simply means that you seek to embody the philosophy of focusing on providing great value to others, and that you follow the Five Laws. Nowhere in there does it say anything about being taken advantage of.
I have a favorite saying I’ve tweeted, posted on Facebook, and even written a blog post around over at my Burg.com site. And that is:
“If you are nice and being taken advantage of, it’s not because you are nice — it’s because you’re allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.”
When you say, There are days when I feel like, “Okay, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I will just sell them and won’t care so much,” this implies that you expect to sell more by not caring about them. But in order to sell most effectively you do have to care about adding value to their businesses. I’m not saying you have to care about any other aspect of their life — but you do have to care about adding value to their businesses.
And they may simply not be interested in anything about you other than how you can potentially help them in their business. If that’s the case, then fine; focus on them, and on how you can give them more in value than you take from them in payment (Law #1). That’s the only (honest) way to build a profitable business, in both the short-term and the long-term.
Please don’t misunderstand or confuse what being a Go-Giver means.
Being a Go-Giver is indeed a profitable way of business. It’s also a way of doing business out of strength, not out of weakness (being taken advantage of).
Best wishes for great success. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
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Published July 5th, 2011 by
Bob Burg
Yes, drum roll please. Well, after one month, including two weeks of submitting videos and two weeks of voting, we finally have the winners of The Go-Giver Thank YOU Contest ready to announce.
And, the winners are…
Grand Prize $1,000 – Sabrina Risley
Five Runners Up
#1 – Norbeth DeJesus
#2 – Laura Newman
#3 – Christie Ellis
There was a tie for 4th Runner Up, decided by a toss of the coin, which resulted in…
#4 – Gina Parris
#5 – Amy Wells
Today the runners up will get to decide, in order of their finish, which coaching session — based on The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success — they will choose.
VIEW THE VIDEOS
Again, the awesome coaches who have volunteered their time to do this are:
Law #1, The Law of Value – Melanie Benson Strick and Jim Palmer
Law #2, The Law of Compensation – John David Mann
Law #3, The Law of Influence – Dondi Scumaci
Law #4, The Law of Authenticity – Dixie “Dynamite” Gillaspie
Law #5, The Law of Receptivity – Randy Gage
John David Mann and I want to thank everyone who participated either by submitting a video or by voting.
And, mainly, we want to thank each and every one of you for being such awesome Ambassadors of The Go-Giver Message.
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Published July 2nd, 2011 by
John David Mann 
We recently received the following piece (a bit truncated for space) from reader Vince Vidoti.
A year after reading Go-Givers Sell More and participating in a Go-Givers workshop, I asked my district mates, “What does it mean to be a Go-Giver?” I wasn’t surprised by their responses.
Times are changing, and so must organizations. We speak of delivering value almost as often as we spill caramel macchiatos on our passenger seats. (Or is that just me?) And how do the authors remind us is the best way to deliver value? Excellence, consistency, attention, empathy, and appreciation. Remember that your income is a reflection of how effectively you touch people’s lives. Creating and adding value is the bullet; being a good person is the gun.
The answer to “What does it mean to be a Go-Giver?” is all around us. The authors say, “[Great salespeople] are great because they create a vast and spreading sphere of goodwill wherever they go. They enrich, enhance, and add value to people’s lives. They make people happier.”
Think of your parents, the server at your favorite eatery, the UPS guy, perhaps your local police officer or fireman. When was the last time we recognized the impact these individuals had on our lives? How many of them have read about what it means to be a go-giver? Yet people all around us are genuine. They give for the sake of giving, and are selfless. They approach people with compassion, and listen with real curiosity.
And by the way, those were the main themes within my district mates’ answers.
Maybe the reason people seem to relate to and truly embrace Go-Givers Sell More is that it delivers incredible insight into the psyche of the most successful salespeople. Or maybe it’s just because it highlights the things we already do on a daily basis, and helps us realize we had a Go-Giver inside of us all along — we just needed someone to help us makes its acquaintance.
I like Vince’s piece a lot. For one thing, it’s the first time I can recall ever hearing the go-giver philosophy being encapsulated thusly: “Creating and adding value is the bullet; being a good person is the gun.”
But seriously.
Often in interviews we say it’s for us to hear from people telling us, “Wow, those ideas in your book were so different from anything I’ve ever thought before!” — no, what we hear a lot of is, “You know, what you write in there is exactly how I always thought the world worked! I just never quite put it into words.”
And Vince’s last few sentences beautifully captures that sentiment:
“Maybe the reason people seem to relate to and truly embrace Go Givers Sell More is that it … highlights the things we already do on a daily basis, and helps us realize we had a Go-Giver inside of us all along — we just needed someone to help us makes its acquaintance.”
Nicely put, Vince!
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Published June 20th, 2011 by
Bob Burg
This was tough! I mean, really, really difficult! The panel of mysterious, secretive, clandestine, ninja-like, un-named judges, whose names and votes are forever sealed in figurative hermetically-sealed jars, struggled through a weekend of watching countless video entries into “The Go-Giver Thank YOU” Contest.
NO NO, wait…we didn’t struggle because the videos weren’t fun to watch. Quite the contrary, they were awesome! I mean, truly awesome!!
The challenge was they were all so terrific and inspiring that choosing just ten finalist was mind-bogglingly difficult. We did it by voting separately and tallying up the totals, and each of us expressing how lucky we felt that we didn’t have to go through the pressure of being the sole decision-maker.
So, you’ll notice there are ten. They are in alphabetical order. You can vote for one person. Feel free to change your mind if you’d like. When you re-vote it will override your previous choice.
We also included two more as Honorable Mentions because they both tied for 11th, and were mere percentage points behind the 10th person. While you can’t vote for them, we know you’ll enjoy their videos as well.
Now it is your turn. It is up to you to determine who the winners will be. So, go forth my friends, and vote. So, go forth, my friends, and vote. Though, unlike certain voting campaigns, vote early but not often. 
Mainly, have fun watching these superb videos. Oh, the voting goes through Friday, July 1st and the winners will be announced on Tuesday, July 5th.
And…a huge, huge thanks to everyone who took the time, made the effort, and shared their hearts by submitting their videos.
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Published June 4th, 2011 by
Bob Burg
We have become aware that Apple does not allow their iPads® to be used in third party promotions or contests (Guidelines for Third Party Promotions). Yesterday, several friends emailed us an article stating that giving away a free iPad 2 as a prize is contrary to Apple’s policy.
Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with their policy and/or strategy, we absolutely respect intellectual property rights, copyrights and trademarks.
So, we are changing the Grand Prize from an iPad 2 ($829 value) to a $1,000 cash prize. With this $1,000 the winner is free to independently purchase an iPad 2 or whatever else they would like with the prize money.
We did contact Apple to make sure this was true and apparently it has been their policy since at least January, 2011. We apologize for any infringement we committed.
Meanwhile, we continue to receive great video entries. If you have not yet submitted yours, please know we’re looking forward to watching it. If you’re not planning to enter as a contestant, we hope you’ll participate by voting once that part of the contest begins.
By the way, we make no judgment regarding Apple’s policy. It is their company and their products and they have the right to determine how to market them.
In terms of marketing, yes, it seems – at least on the surface – to be a rather counterproductive strategy.
Still, let’s face it, Apple didn’t get to be as successful as they are without knowing what they are doing. So, in the name of marketing, branding, positioning, etc., any thoughts on why they have this rule in place?
The one with the best answer will win a free iP…whoops, never mind. 
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Published May 25th, 2011 by
Bob Burg
True, we really can’t thank you enough. We’d like to try though.
So, to say “Thank YOU” for all your help in The Go-Giver soaring past the 200,000 mark in sales, John David Mann and I have put together a contest with some really cool prizes.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a brand new iPad 2: 64 GB with Wi-Fi + 3G (Yep, only the best for you!)
Five additional winners will receive a one-on-one, personal coaching session with one of today’s top authorities; each session based on one of the Five Laws from the book.
This is about YOU, and we invite you to participate. Mostly, we invite you to have fun!
Check out the Contest web page.
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Published May 3rd, 2011 by
Bob Burg
Our awesome publisher (Penguin/Portfolio) emailed John and me yesterday with some great news: sales of The Go-Giver, including both domestic and international, has passed the 200,000 mark (actually, 222,473 but who’s counting?) and heading toward the big Quarter-Mill.
THANK YOU … YOU ROCK!!!!!
We wish to extend our absolute gratitude to every one of you for being amazing Ambassadors for the message. This could not have happened so quickly — it could not happened at all — without you.
So, congratulations and thank you, to YOU … Team Go-Giver!
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Published March 29th, 2011 by
John David Mann
The New York Times small business blog today ran a piece about a high tech entrepreneur who recently took her business through a major crash course in course-correction. (You’ll never guess how. Read on.)
“Success came quickly for SolTec Electronics,” begins the piece by Times columnist Adriana Gardella. Created by founder Dawn Gluskin in her living room in 2008, the firm sells hard-to-find circuit board components and solves big companies’ supply-crunch problems.
By the beginning of 2011, Dawn found her company had suffered its first quarterly loss, and could be headed for trouble. She responded with agility and creativity, putting in place a number of fascinating changes, for example, in her financial controls and management.
Here is the change that most caught our eye:
Ms. Gluskin, SolTec’s top revenue generator, said she is trying to “clone” herself. She revamped SolTec’s sales training program and now holds weekly meetings with her sales representatives during which she emphasizes the importance of relationship selling. Recently, she had her sales staff read The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann. “The moral,” she said, “is the more you give, the more sales you’ll get.”
SolTec has many competitors, but Ms. Gluskin said it stands out by emphasizing customer needs. She urges her sales staff to get to know customers on a personal level and help them even when it will not directly benefit SolTec. . .
You can read the full text of the article here.
It’s not every day we wake up and find we’ve been mentioned in the New York Times. (Now that is something that goes well with a cup of Rachel’s Famous Coffee and a danish.)
Our thanks to you, Dawn, and to you, Adriana!
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Published February 19th, 2011 by
Bob Burg
A young man named Greg wrote us last year to say he had begun a non-profit organization in his small community.
He wrote:
I am responsible for raising money, and the way I’ve been creating great impact is with the Go-Giver mentality, helping others.
Working for a startup non-profit, I am not paid well, which is fine with me. I appreciate the story you’ve told as it spoke to my soul.
I wrote back:
Hi Greg. Thank you for your note, and congratulations on all the great work you are doing.
As a thought, when you say that working for a startup non-profit you are not paid well and that you are fine with that: that’s great for now, but I’d like to see you bring in more and more money as salary as the organization brings in more money.
Remember, Law #2 says that your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Being a Go-Giver does not mean being a martyr or taking a vow of poverty. (That is, of course, a choice you have the right to make, but it is not a part of the Go-Giver philosophy.)
You can do a great deal more good in the world and specifically for those you wish to help when you are living comfortably, rather than having to worry about where your next meal is coming from and how you’re going to make your next rent payment. Just a thought, as you seem like a truly great guy.
A month or so later, Greg replied:
Bob, your message hit a nerve. Thank you for the reminder. I agree, doing good does not mean earning less. I went to business school and felt guilty about the idea of making a lot of money doing something I loved.
I’ve been practicing, and I am starting to ask for more money when I speak—and am getting paid what I’m worth. Your words came at a time when I needed to hear them.
Yes, good work can be rewarded, and good things keep happening to me. Wow, I love The Go-Giver as it represents my life.
Cool. Very cool! Provide exceptional value, provide it to lots of people, and stay open to receiving. Great things will happen.
Good for you, Greg!
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Published February 7th, 2011 by
John David Mann
We just found today: we are turning 18!
How’s that? Well, we just learned from Brooke Carey, our wonderful editor at Portfolio, that there is now a Bulgarian edition of The Go-Giver in the works.
On the heels of the recent addition of a Hungarian edition (that would be #17), that now brings to eighteen the total number of foreign-language editions!
You can click here to see all the covers, with links to the different editions, but below is a quick look at the fascinating multitude of ways the translators have rendered the book’s title and subtitle:
ENGLISH
The Go-Giver
A little story about a powerful business idea
AFRIKAANS
The Go-Giver (Die Weg-Gewer)
A story about a powerful business idea
(’n Storie oor ’n Kragtige Sake-idee)
BULGARIAN
n/a
CHINESE (simplified)
To Be a Positive Giver
CHINESE (complex)
Giving Power
Life-changing adventure of five
DANISH
The Go-Giver
An inspiring tale of getting when you give
(En inspirerende fortælling om at få, når man giver)
DUTCH
The Go-Giver (De Go-Giver)
An inspiring story about the value of giving
(een inspirerend verhaal over de waarde van geven)
FRENCH
Give Without Measure (Donner Sans Compter)
An inspiring story that brings new relevance to the proverb “give and you shall receive”
HEBREW
The Power of Giving
A little story about a big business idea
HUNGARIAN
The Giver
or, Why is it true that … “he gives a lot more to get it back”?
INDONESIAN
The Grantor (Sang Pemberi)
Five laws of highest success
JAPANESE
You Give
Pinder fulfill the dream of millionaires in five secrets
KOREAN
Rachel’s Coffee
Five rules to reach huge success
POLISH
The Giver (Rozdawca)
A short story about a great business idea
SPANISH
Give to Receive (Dar Para Recibir)
the secret to success in business
THAI
Give More, Get More
n/a
TURKISH
The Way of the Giver (Yolveren)
A short story about a powerful business idea
VIETNAMESE
Who Dared To Go (Người dám cho đi)
A little story about a powerful business idea
How many ways can you say, stratospheric?
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