Thanks to the strategies taught in the “Go Giver” series I have been able to live a very blessed life for the last 4 or 5 years.
Even landing the biggest partnerships and opportunities in my life, literally translating into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While this interview is mainly centered around the second book in the series, Go Givers Sell More. I believe both books are necessary reading for any business owner.
Especially if you are just starting out and don’t have a lot of resources to compete with the larger players in your industry.
The Go Giver way of doing business consists of “The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success” and when you apply those 5 laws you level the playing field.
In fact I’d even say you skew the playing field in your favor.
What’s Inside The Books
The first book is written in parable format so it’s a very easy read. You’ll be introduced to the two main characters; Joe and Pindar.
Joe is a struggling salesman with a quota pending. He meets Pindar through a friend in the office and is taken under Pindar’s wing, learning a whole new way of selling that defies most sales books.
Through meeting different characters in the book, Joe learns each of the 5 laws of stratospheric success. Finishing with a happy ending where Joe is not stressed out any more about hitting his career goals.
However, the laws are so profound in the first book, The Go Giver, that a lot of people were left wondering how to apply them in their own situations.
Which is why Bob Burg and John David Mann wrote the second book, Go Givers Sell More. In the second book they trade the fictional characters for real life case studies on how people are applying what was taught in the first book.
Not only do you get countless real life examples of how these laws are changing peoples lives, you also get in depth teaching on each of the 5 laws. The first book will change your perception on how REAL business is done. The second will take you by the hand helping you apply those new ideas.
I fully endorse this book, it’s a book that I’ve literally bought and given to my own family members. I get no affiliate commission or compensation of any kind for asking you to buy this book. It’s just something that I feel will help a lot of people in large deeply impactful ways, and I get a joy out being able to have even a small part in that.
Listen To The Interview
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to interview Bob Burg and in this half hour long session Bob covers a lot of ground not covered in his book. For example, when should you stop “giving” and where did the 5 laws come from. Click play below to listen to the interview…
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QUESTION: While this is in NO WAY what “The Go Giver” method is about… Do you think it’s possible to make money from giving things away for free? Leave your answer below as a comment and read what others have to say as well.
P.S. Don’t miss our usual Tuesday night “Twenty Minute Tackle” shows. We’ll be giving away free copies of “Go Givers Sell More” live for the next 2 weeks. Shows are every Tuesday night at 11pm eastern and recorded weekly. Watch live or browse our recordings at http://budurl.com/20minutetackle
Go Bigger,
Justin Brooke
“All It Takes Is Action And Action Builds Confidence”
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh yea, You can make money by giving away free stuff. But this is what seperates the big boys from the wannabe's
Like you said once you start to “Know” how it is done it's just a matter time before you begin to realize “jeez I can do this”!
Paul
I feel like the more free stuff I give away the more money I make. More of the big guys need to adopt this strategy.
It all depends on context. This type of message- give it away and you will be rewarded is generally a foolish notion, without the requisite experience to employ it strategically, you're left with a bunch of people working for free and wishing they could make a living.
Take a look at photography and graphic design- working for free in 95% of the cases is absolutely silly, yet that other 5% can prove profitable. The problem is, noone really explains where to pull the trigger and when to run for the hills, this actually takes a little know how.
Quite simply, giving your product or service away to you target demographic is the quickest way to set it's value to zero. You are what you bill, whether you like it or not and if you don't bill, you're free. Try paying rent with a photo or design credit.
Great interview man! bob burg really has created something amazing… secret handshake… love it! lol
Thanks for the high quality content! Give without keeping score and make sure your connecting with other givers! Love it!
I think KLT is so important… people have to know like and trust you in order to buy your products and services. that's why I love social media… it's a great place to connect with people and get them to know like and trust you quicker.
Great stuff bro!
David
P.S. Loved the value should always outweigh the price… so true! If the value outweighs the price your refunds will be lower and a higher percentage of them will do business with you again in the future! it's so important to over-deliver in your products and services!
I know you can make money giving things away for free. Here's a few examples of when I've given free stuff and made money from it:
1. I shared advice on using a piece of software on a forum. After about a week, I had people asking me to put together a product. I did, and then I made over 1K/month while I was selling the product and I didn't have to do anything.
2. I gave out my email address & answered SEO questions and I had a big name copywriter pay me to do SEO work for him, and now I might potentially have 40 SEO clients that were referred to me by that person's right hand man.
You can definitely give stuff away for free and make money. In fact, it's probably the most effective way of making money, and it feels good all at the same time.
Shawn
Of course you gotta use your head when giving stuff away for free. Obviously if you don't charge for anything there's no way you can make money, but in every industry there's some way you can give free stuff and make a crap load of money.
For graphic design you don't give away designs. You give away lessons on how to do graphic design. You teach people for free how to do it and then when they want it done for them rather than doing it themselves, that's when you get paid for graphic design.
Same deal with photography. Teach people how to take good photos and when they want it done for them, that's when you get paid.
I can't remember which diamond company it is, but their main strategy is they teach people how to choose good quality diamonds, and they give away free information on diamonds and what makes a diamond good, and then people see that their diamonds rock so they buy their diamonds. They don't just give away their diamonds and expect money to show up in the bank.
Shawn
Justin -
I absolutely LOVED this post and your interview with Bob – Outstanding! (and a big thank you to Bob for taking the time to talk with you so you could share it with us!).
Choosing to become go-giver is what made ALL the difference in the world for my online business and interactions. However, when I made that choice, I had no idea there was a name for it! lol!
New Years Day, 2008, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I needed to stop trying to SELL and get back to my values and my personal nature and start giving as much as I could.
It was a defining moment for me.
I think the roadblock many people run into is that they believe:
giving = getting taken advantage of
When nothing is further from the truth.
I believe – no, I KNOW it is totally possible to make money by giving things away for free. But as long as your mentality is “give to get”, it will be hard because the “go-giver” attitude is not really there.
I look forward to clicking thru and reading about these two books. They sound similar in writing style to “Who Moved My Cheese” and “The Greatest Networker in the World” (as well as “Conversations with the Greatest Networker”) – which is right up my alley =)
Justin – thank you for this!!!
Jennifer
~PotPieGirl
Great interview Justin! I have read the Go-Giver and loved it. I'll definitely be checking out Bob's latest book.
Greg I'm sorry but I disagree with you 100% – It was kind of a trick question as I make most of my money by giving stuff away for free.
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I have a $2,000 MAC computer sitting 5 feet away from me that I got for free by just helping the store owner with their website for free.
Of course ONLY giving stuff away for free can never make money, but FREE is the most powerful word in marketing for a reason.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what the book actually teaches when you read it. It's not just about giving stuff away for free. It's about adding value to peoples lives and then being open to receiving wwhat may come from that.
AMEN to “it's probably the most effective way of making money”
Jen you are going to RAVE about these books to your customers when you read them. You and I are a lot a like in the way we help our market and make our sales. When you see that they've created a rule set or guideline to what we do you'll go bonkers!
Thanks dude! Still waiting for the link to your site for the video critique you won on our live show
I can't wait!
You don't make money by giving stuff away for free. You give stuff away for free to market your non-free services or products. So the free stuff ain't what makes you money it is what you sell that makes you money.
And about the website for free. Didn't you get a Mac in return? I would consider that a payment. Paying for stuff ain't always in cash. It can be with your email, phonenumber, services etc.
Sorry for the delay on the email but I'm in the middle of a much needed site overhaul. I'm changing it to match what I'm all about. Right now my header gives off to much of the suit and tie stuffy corporate feel…the exact opposite of me! I'm also changing some of the layout. I hope you don't mind if I push back the critique a week or two. I know you are busy and I appreciate all the help you and Chaunna have provided.
Great Interview With Bob Burg.
Looking at photography and design of the graphics in most of the case is not a good idea according to me.
You are giving a free stuff to market your non-free services or products.
I am DINESHKUMAR FROM INDIA. This reminds me of an incident of the same nature that happened to a friend of mine. I was posted in Ahmedabad aroung 1990. This guy was in administration department. And it was his job to coordinate the logistics for the foreigners who used to come for the official work in the factory. That time it was a German gentleman,who, wanted some tips about the accommodation in Ahmedabad, and he couldn't trust anyone. Pronto Joshi,my friend, told the German that he can stay at his house. The German asked him as to how he can trust an outsider. It is a long story, however the German did stay in my friend's house, and left on completion of the job. Then one day the German invited my friend to visit Germany. And when my friend told him that he can not afford at present, the German gentleman not only sent him ticket he also bore his other expenditures. Here I would say that it was by no means a bartering arrangement, but the German gentleman, in return for the free value-based gesture , reciprocated by offering afree holiday. Pls do not take it otherwise. To me it was a perfect example of “FREE GIVER SELL/EARN MORE. It has to be done with the felling of a samaritan. GOOD LUCK AND ALL THE BEST.
After reading several of the comments, it is clear who truly understands the concepts in the Go-Giver & who does not. If you are “giving” simply so that you can “get” something in return, you've missed the point all together. The old concept “What Goes Around, Comes Around” holds true still. When you GIVE with the attitude of sharing and enriching someone elses's life, you will gain in the process. There's no need to look for what will come back to you…It will show up when you least expect it.
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