The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

by Bob Burg

‘I believe that a person can reach a certain level of success without being particularly special. But to get really, really big, to reach the kind of stratospheric success we’re talking about, people need to have something on the inside, something that’s genuine.’”

“Most of us have grown up seeing the world as a place of limitation rather than as a place of inexhaustible treasures. A world of competition rather than one of co-creation.”

In life, you often don’t get what you want. But,” he leaned forward again and his voice grew softer with emphasis, “here’s what you do get—You get what you expect.”

Go looking for the best in people, and you’ll be amazed at how much talent, ingenuity, empathy and goodwill you’ll find.

“Ultimately, the world treats you more or less the way you expect to be treated.”

“A very useful thing to remember: appearances can be deceiving.” He slid over to make room for the chef. “Truth is, they nearly always are.”

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”

“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.”

“Or to put it another way, Your compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch.”

Some of these tasks she enjoyed more than others. However, she approached each one as though she loved it. She did this by reminding herself that, regardless of how much or how little she cared for the task itself, she relished the opportunity to survive, save and serve.

“Changing my focus from seeing what I could git to what I could give was when my career started to take off. Started to. But in a business like mine—actually, in any business—you also need to know how to develop a network.”

“Watch out for the other guy. Watch out for his interests. Watch his back. Forget about fifty-fifty, son. Fifty-fifty’s a losing proposition. The only winning proposition is one hundred percent. Make your win about the other person, go after what he wants. Forget win-win—focus on the other person’s win.

“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.”

“I believe there is one reason, and only one reason, that we have stayed together so long and are as happy together today as we were forty-eight years ago—more so, in fact. That reason is this: I care more about my wife’s happiness than I do about my own. All I’ve ever wanted to do since the day I met her is make her happy. And here’s the truly remarkable thing—she seems to want the same thing for me.”

“Reaching any goal you set takes ten percent specific knowledge or technical skills—ten percent, max. The other ninety-plus percent is people skills.

The most valuable thing you have to give people is yourself. No matter what you think you’re selling, what you’re really offering is you.”

“It’s not better to give than to receive. It’s insane to try to give and not receive. “Trying not to receive is not only foolish, it’s arrogant. When someone gives you a gift, what gives you the right to refuse it—to deny their right to give?