from Go-Givers Sell More:

The great upside-down misconception about sales is that it's an effort to get something from others. The truth is that sales at its best-at its most effective-is precisely the opposite: it is about giving. Giving time, attention, counsel, education, empathy, and value. In fact, the word sell comes from the Old English word sellan, which means-you guessed it-to give. And curiously, the more you give, the more you receive. Great salespeople are not great because they have mastered "the close," or because they give a dazzling presentation, or because they can shoot holes in any customer objection from fifty paces. Genuinely great salespeople create a vast and spreading sphere of good will wherever they go. They enrich, enhance and add value to people's lives. They make people happier.

The Go-Giver took the business world by storm with its message that giving is the simplest, most fulfilling, and most effective path to success. It has inspired more than 125,000 readers; but some have wondered how the story's lessons stand up to the tough challenges of everyday, real-world business. Bob Burg and John David Mann answer that question in Go-Givers Sell More, a practical guide that turns giving into the cornerstone of a powerful and effective approach to selling.

Most of us think of sales as a struggle to make people do something they don't really want to do. But that cutthroat mentality makes the process much harder than it has to be-especially in an economic downturn when customers are more suspicious and defensive than ever. It's far more effective (and satisfying) when salespeople think like Go-Givers and focus exclusively on creating value for the customer. Cultivate a trusting relationship and provide outstanding service, say the authors, and great results will follow automatically. Illustrating their points with a wide range of real-life examples, Burg and Mann offer tips and strategies that anyone in sales can start applying right away.

BOB BURG is a popular public speaker who teaches the tenets of The Go-Giver to audiences around the world. A former sales professional, he is also the author of Endless Referrals. He lives in Jupiter, Florida.

JOHN DAVID MANN has been writing about business and leadership for more than twenty years; he is also coauthor of The Secret Language of Money. He lives in Massachusetts.