Whenever I am in the village, I make a point to swing by the Bwarie Gift Basket Company just to say hello to Tom Bwarie. Sometimes I even buy something. It is a happy store and Tom is so warm and upbeat that I always feel good when I go in there. A few weeks ago, Tom placed a small book in my hands and urged me to read it. “It will only take a couple of hours and it could change your life,” he said.
That evening after reading “The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea” I had even greater insight into how Tom does business. I also understood why the popularity of this little book has organically grown among many of our Chamber members. They are sharing it with each other, as Tom shared it with me.
The story revolves around an ambitious young man named Joe, a real go-getter who longs for success but is discouraged because it seems the harder and faster he tries to put it all together, the more success eludes him. Joe needs to close a big deal at the end of a down quarter, so he desperately seeks out the wisdom of a legendary consultant called Pindar, who is also known among his devotees as The Chairman. Pindar is an advisor to a number of Fortune 500 CEOs and a successful entrepreneur in his own right.
When they meet and sit down for coffee in his palatial home, Pindar shares with Joe his trade secret for success. The secret is in giving — being a go-giver rather than just a go-getter.
Joe cannot believe it is so simple. Pindar agrees to have lunch with Joe every day the following week, introducing him to one successful go-giver each day to illustrate his Five Laws of Strastospheric Success. The only condition is that Joe must apply the law he learns each day to his own life on that very same day.
Over the next five days, Joe meets the five extraordinary go-givers and learns through their stories that they give because they love to give — not as a strategy, but as a way of life.
He also learns that by always giving more value and placing other people's interests first, you create relationships of trust that ultimately lead to personal satisfaction and business success. As he applies one law each day, Joe experiences how good it feels to help others and learns that through giving you can receive unexpected rewards.
I am reminded of a famous axiom by the great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar. In his distinctive Southern drawl, Zig would say, “You can get what you want if you help enough other folks get what they want.”
Although I am sharing the five laws with you here, I recommend you read the book to grasp each principle in context and then take one law each day and apply it as Pindar mandated to Joe.
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The Law of Value — Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
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The Law of Compensation — Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
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The Law of Influence — Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
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The Law of Authenticity — The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
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The Law of Receptivity — The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
“The Go-Giver” is a little gem written by Bob Burg and John David Mann, who are both prolific givers to their profession and in their communities. Their new book “Go-Givers Sell More” is a practical guide to applying the five interlocking principles from “The Go-Giver” to everyday business life.
The Chamber offers many opportunities for members to meet, network and get to know each other better. At the next event, try being a go-giver; focus on the interests of others, and let me know how it goes.