I’m a fan of the Go-Giver books. Having already read two books in the series that I liked a lot, The Go-Giver and The Go-Giver Leader, it was an easy decision to put The Go-Giver Influencer on my reading list. Authors Bob Burg and John David Mann have a way of weaving important business and personal development concepts into stories that makes those concepts easy to digest and remember. It also makes it easier to see how the concepts can be applied to real-life situations.
Overall, The Go-Giver Influencer is another excellent installment in the Go-Giver series. I would rank it right up there with the original. In the book, a small business owner is approached by the purchasing department of a large corporation. It’s a great opportunity for the small business, and one it needs to stay afloat, but it comes with a few catches. On the other side, the large corporation sees the product line as a key way to differentiate their company in the marketplace. Burg and Mann use this as the backdrop to reveal their five secrets of mastering genuine influence, which are:
- Master your emotions (Breathe)
- Step into the other person’s shoes (Listen)
- Set the frame (Smile)
- Communicate with tact and empathy (Be gracious)
- Let go of having to be right (Trust)
In addition, there were a few great quotes from the book that stood out for me that reinforced the five secrets.
“Gratitude is the secret to all magnificent success.”
“Empathy is feeling what the other person is feeling.”
“Tact is the act of giving empathy a voice.”
“In any exchange, business or personal, empathy is the single greatest determinant of success. Not only having empathy, but also communicating it.”
That should give you a general feel for the book. I would highly recommend reading it to get a better, deeper understanding of the five secrets. It’s a short story that easy to read and to the point. The five secrets and other recommendations in the book are good for managing both business and personal relationships, so I would recommend it regardless of whether you are in business or not.