The Go-Giver: Main points

3 minute read

The Go-Giver
A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
By Bob Burg and John David Mann

Thoughts and Review:

This is a very digestable short book that interweaves 5 main points with a simple story to emphasize the ideas. I found it a pleasant read. It is the simple idea of generosity having a huge impact to our business and professional lives that people that consider themselves “Unsuccessful” neglect or fail to grapple with. Looking beyond business or sales, at the core the message of this book aligns with finding meaning/purpose in life.

This book is about “Value”. Defining what it is and shows how to find opportunities and to provide them too.

5 points:

Called “The 5 laws of Stratospheric Success” Are each chapters within the short story and again summarized by the end of the book. Even though I will be echoing these laws in my review and summary it does not take away that every should and can read this book and the story and get the sense that anyone can apply these principles and benefit from them!

  1. The law of value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
    IE: Do more than what you expect in return. Be more self less. Do more to demonstrate to others your value. This is the only way to prove your worth.

  2. The law of compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
    Think of how to expand your reach, most people are limited to a singular income under an organization. This is the way to maintain a stable moderate life, but is not the way to accrue wealth and get rich. Most millionaires are self employed and do more outside usual day job. Think about Youtubers and other broadcast like roles and products (Like writing a book, making online courses, developing a software/app). Their influence scales to the masses and therefore has potential to build passive income.

  3. The law of influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
    Again, this point is to be less self-serving and considering the needs of others over yours in a relationship. Advice taken from the book is to consider how to build relationships and generate rapport with others. The main character in the book inadvertently practiced this principle in a discussion with his wife where he put her needs first by paying attention and listening to her talk beyond their usual 50:50 split after work venting. This shows that relationships (personal or business) shouldn’t be a zero-sum game.

  4. The law of authenticity: The move valuable gift you have to offer is yourself
    Being yourself is the best power or most unique thing you have you have. Nothing else to be said.

  5. The law of receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
    It sounds contradictory doesn’t it? A book telling the secret of business is about giving, then another point is to be open to receiving! But that’s the point, if everyone strives to be a giver the other side is to receive. When I got gifted this book from my friend he also gave me many other books (which I will go through reading). The act of gifting to me I found strange at the time since It thought we were just going to hangout and have a nice catchup time. Well we have to change this weird stigma of receiving gifts, whether physical or by knowledge and be open to receiving as a part of continued learning and growth.

    Ofcourse for myself I want to be intentional with my giving and receiving since I am trying to be a minimalist haha.