This week I had the privilege of hanging out with Bob Burg.
Bob Burg is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences sharing the platform with everyone from today’s business leaders and broadcast personalities to even a former U.S. President.
Bob is the author of a number of books on sales, marketing and influence, with total book sales of well over a million copies. His book, The Go-Giver, coauthored with John David Mann has sold over half a million copies and it has been translated into 21 languages. It has been released in a new, expanded edition, with a foreword by Huffington Post founder and publisher, Arianna Huffington.
Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. He is also an unapologetic animal fanatic, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Furry Friends Adoption & Clinic in his town of Jupiter, Florida.
Show Highlights
- Bob believes it’s important to learn from people who have already accomplished what you want to accomplish.
- “Predictably achieving a goal based on a logical and specific set of how-to principles.” The key is predictability.
- People will do business with, and refer business to people they know, like and trust. To develop those relationships you constantly give value.
- Nobody will buy from you because you have a quota to meet. They’re not going to buy from you because you need the money, and they won’t buy from you because you believe you provide the best service in the world. They will only buy from you because they believe they are better of doing so than not doing so.
- It’s important to communicate and genuinely focus on bringing value to the other person. Money is an echo of value.
- Important to understand the difference between price and value. Price is finite, it’s a dollar amount. Value is the desirability of a thing to the end user.
- 5 Elements of Value: Excellence, consistency, attention, empathy, appreciation.
- Selling is defined as finding out what the person wants, needs and desires and helping them to get it.
- Contractors know the fear and concern that homeowners have so you want to take care of those during the presentation. Know the objections you are going to get. For those objections, have your most ecstatic customers write you a testimonial or record a message and show it right there on the tablet.
- What other people say about you is infinitely more believable than what you say about you. Dr Chaldini’s book.
- Two books Bob recommends: Presuasion by Dr Chaldini. (I think this book is even better than influence, science and practice). Also The Secret of Selling Anything. – Harry Browne
- Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
- 4 Benefits of referred prospects it’s easier to set appointments:
- you’re going in on borrowed influence.
- Price is less of an issue. You have a head start in terms off selling on value.
- It’s easier to complete transaction or close sale.
- They are already of the mindset that that is how you do business.
- Law of influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first. Make your win about the other person’s win.
- Law of Authenticity says the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself. All the sales skills in the world – as important as they are – they are for naught if you don’t come at it from your true authentic core.
- Law of Receptivity: The key of effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
- Be a giver and a receiver, but focus on being a giver. The focus needs to be on value.
- Asking for referrals the right way is a sign of professionalism. It says this is how I work – we do a great job and people want to refer us. Ask for referrals at the very moment the sale is closed.
- Example script: “I am in the process of expanding my referral business and I’ve found it helpful to partner with my valued clients and friends such as you. Can we take a few quick minutes and run past the names of some other people I might also be able to help.” This doesn’t sound over confident and it doesn’t sound needy.
- Another sales book – Anthony Inarino – The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need.
- Great salesmanship is never about the salesperson. It’s also never about the product or service. It’s always about the other person and how they are going to benefit.
- You can find Bob at TheGoGiver.com. Where you can listen and subscribe to Bob’s podcast. Receive an excerpt from the book. Take a look at the Go-Giver Sales Academy 2-day events.
