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What is value? And how do you offer more value to clients? It may surprise you to learn that the answer is not by being good a what you do.
On today’s podcast, Gail and Erin talk with Bob Burg, consultant, presenter, and author of a number of books on sales, marketing, and influence. He is perhaps best known as the co-author of the best-selling The Go-Giver and other Go-Giver books, and as host of The Go-Giver podcast.
The essential premise of the Go-Giver philosophy is that shifting one’s focus from getting to giving (constantly and consistently providing value to others) is not only a fulfilling way to live life and conduct business, but the most profitable way, as well. The more you give, the more you have. This is the secret behind many of the world’s most successful people.
Entrepreneurs and salespeople, said Bob, need to keep in mind that someone is going to do business with you or buy from you not because of who you are, who you represent, whether they like you, or because you need to make a living, but because they believe it is to their advantage to do so. Likewise, an employer is going to hire someone because they believe that person can fill a need, not because they need a job or have a commendable work history. You have to demonstrate that you have something of value that meets their needs, goals or desires.
Many designers, noted Gail, have difficulty demonstrating and charging for their value. How can they address that?, she asked Bob. He said there are two main steps to defining one’s value.
First, make a study of your own value. Really understand what you bring to the table. It’s not your interior design skills, talent and knowledge that create your value. That is baseline. You wouldn’t be in business otherwise. It’s all the other things that you bring that define your unique value, such as your excellence, your consistency, your attention to detail, your empathy, your gratitude and appreciation for your client’s business, trust and delight in what you deliver.
If you sell at low price, you’re looked at as a commodity. If you sell at high value, you’re looked at as a resource. — Bob Burg
Second, make a study of prosperity. Many people have unconscious negative attitudes toward money and wealth. Without being aware, they sabotage their own success because they are uncomfortable with making too much money or with asking to be compensated for what they are truly worth. There are many good books on the subject which can help one to get past those feelings and replace them with more healthy, realistic attitudes toward achieving success.
Gail, Erin and Bob also discussed how to approach someone you’d like to have as a mentor and what it takes to be a successful influencer. For those topics, three key takeaways you can apply to your business right away, and Bob’s explanation of The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, listen to the entire podcast.
Mentioned in This Podcast
To learn more about Bob and his work, read his blog, and listen to The Go-Giver podcast, go to his website at www.burg.com. You can also find Bob on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and listen to his podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and iHeart Media.
For more information about the Go-Giver philosophy, the Go-Giver books (including the new The Go-Giver Influencer and Endless Referrals, mentioned by Gail) and where to buy them, to download a copy of The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, and to request a free copy of the special report Endless Prospects the Go-Giver Way, visit the Go-Giver website at thegogiver.com. On the home page you can register to access Bob’s free four-video mini-course “Selling the Go-Giver Way” and get more information about his other video course, “Endless Referrals: The Go-Giver Way.”
Bob cited a quote from international performance consultant Dondi Scumaci: “Compliance will never take you where commitment will go.” You can learn more about her at dondiscumaci.com.