Bob Burg

090: Bob Burg: I resisted change and it set me back

Intro: Welcome to the Fast Leader Podcast, where we uncover the leadership like hat that help you to experience, break out performance faster and rocket to success. And now here’s your host, customer and employee engagement expert and certified emotional intelligence practitioner, Jim Rembach.

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Jim Rembach:    Okay, Fast Leader Legion during episode 80, which was an episode packed with a lot of nuggets and of wisdom with Paul Maskell, Paul recommended our guest today’s book the Go Giver as one of his recommended books to read. Bob Burg was born and raised in Massachusetts but as soon as he could he got down to sunny South Florida. His dream was to be third baseman for the Boston Red Sox except for one thing, any semblance of talent. So, Bob became a sportscaster in radio then in television and then he got into sales and never look back and then he also moved on to the stage. Bob Burg co-author of the international bestseller the Go Giver and a much sought after speaker at sales and leadership conferences.

He is committed to inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us. He shows that companies both large and small that conduct their business the ‘go giver’ way are not only of much greater value to their customers they are also significantly more functional and profitable as well. Bob is an advocate and supporter and defender of the free enterprise system believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. Bob says his life is pretty much his business and vice versa. He is not married and has no kids but he is a voracious reader, baseball fan, and unapologetic animal fanatic and serves on the Board of Trustees of Furry Friends Adoption and Clinic and his hometown of Jupiter, Florida. Bob Burg, are you ready to help us get over the hump?

Bob Burg:     Sure I am Jim it’s great to be with you. 

Jim Rembach:    Thanks Bob I appreciate that. I’ve given our listeners a little bit about you but can you tell us what your current passion is so that we can get to know you even better?

Bob Burg:     Current passion is that we put together a Go Get Sales Academy where instead  me going out now and speaking to your major companies groups, organizations as I always have, I still continue too but not as much, at 58 I want to get off the road more than being on it. But there are groups of 12 people that we go very deep into their business and help them to become a lot more confident, communicated their value and just have a lot more—business it’s a lot more fun a lot less stressful and a lot more profitable. So that’s really our passion right now in the part of the business we’re really geared to. 

Jim Rembach:    There’s a couple of things that stood out as I was reviewing the book. You had mentioned something about the ‘go giver’ being congruent and even honors human nature, what does that mean?

Bob Burg:     Oh! It’s such a great question. One of my favorite book and I’m sure you’ve read and I’m sure our bookshelves are very similar actually, but one of my favorite of all time of course was Dale Carnegie’s, How to Win Friends and Influence People, just an amazing classic. And one the statements in there of all the many amazing statements he made I thought was the basic premise of the entire book mentor and that’s where he said, ‘ultimately people do things for their reasons not our reasons’ and that is human nature. People are going to do things because they believe that it’s going to bring them closer to happiness than doing something else, okay.  I often say when I speak at a sales conference, nobody’s going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet. They’re not going to buy from you because you need the money. They’re not even going to buy from you because you’re a really nice person who has a great product and you think they should have it. They’re going to buy from you only because they believe that they are better off by doing so than by not doing so.  

So in the go giver philosophy which is basically the shift in your focus from getting to giving, and when we say giving in this context Jim we simply mean constantly and consistently providing value to others, we understand that it’s not about us, great leadership is never about the leader great influences never about the influencer and great salesmanship is never about the salesperson, it’s always about the other person focusing on them bringing value to them and that’s why John David Mann my awesome co-author and I often say that, money is simply an echo of value, if the thunder if you will to values lightning which means the focus must be on pleasing the other person understanding again they’re going to do what they feel is in their best interest.

Jim Rembach:     Thanks for sharing that. There’s something that stood out to me when you started talking about that even a value component. I think so many times that we potentially inside of us value certain things and then we find it difficult to believe when others don’t value the same thing. 

Bob Burg:     You are so right on the mark. It’s all about belief systems. What is a belief? A belief can be defined as a subjective truth. In other words, it’s the truth as we understand the truth to be it doesn’t mean it’s about truth that means it’s a true or it means our truth. Sometimes our truth and that truth are the same but often they’re not and the reason why is because as human beings we all see the world from our own unique individual viewpoints, it’s based on our belief systems which we could also say is our unconscious operating system. Belief system is a combination of upbringing, environments, schooling, news media, television shows, movies, popular culture, cultural mores, everything that comes into our light but as you know our basic belief system is pretty much set in stone by the time were little more than toddlers and everything that comes into our life after that is basically added onto that foundational premise. And as human beings unconsciously viewing the world in a certain way we also think that everyone else sees the world the same way, how could be any different? It’s all we know. This is why you hear people say things like, Oh, everyone loves that, or nobody would like that,  or if you’ve ever heard someone say, maybe you’ve said it I know I have far too often, oh, I would never treat someone like that. Now we wouldn’t it becomes not part of our belief system but that’s not true for others. And so what happens is as a salespeople we tend to believe that or as leaders inspiring the team of others, we tend to believe that what we valued is what everyone else values. It’s like the person who was trying to sell me a copying machine. And he came in and all he was talking about was the price. 

Now you know I had I just moved from a big office into my home office, this maybe seven or eight years ago great move I’m so glad I did it, but I remember my office manager use to have to do this thing with the copying machine that she had to fill in this information and send it in to them every month, if you know me you know that this is not something I’m going to do in a million years, so my question to him and he had a sales assistant with him who wasn’t saying anything and I asked, “Well, would I have to fill in that information?” I really don’t want to do that it’s not something—he just kept coming back with price. He wasn’t asking me question about what I wanted, he was telling me about the great price. And of course you know, hey, there were people who buy just on price not many, okay, usually it’s not a price question a value situation but some people are status buyers, some people are—I’m a convenience buyer in other words I’m lazy but he never took the time to ask and I was just about to politely end the interview when finally his assistant couldn’t hold back any longer and she said, “Mr. Burg, if we could put into the agreement that you’ll never have to check the—whatever that’s there, would you buy it?” And I said, “Absolutely, I’ll do it right now.” And they made the sale. What he didn’t realize that his trainee did it wasn’t about him and what he found to be of value it was about me the customer and what I found to be of value. One quick thing, this is why I define sales as simply discovering what the other person wants, needs or desires and helping them to get it. 

Jim Rembach:    You know Bob, to me you’re talking about something that is somewhat universal from the perspective of it doesn’t matter if we were referring to needing to make a register ringer or wanting to make a register ring or have a deposit put into your particular account from a sale, this things apply even when we’re starting to talk about working cross functionally within an organization. When we started talking about being part of a group and talking about moving things forward and change initiatives and all of those things, it applies universally.

Bob Burg:     Right. 

Jim Rembach:     Everybody wants to do this. 

Bob Burg:     Alright, alright. Well, here’s a thing, one of my old heroes, the late Harry Brown use to say, Everyone seeks happiness, and then he said now, aside from that one thing you cannot use the word to everyone or anyone or no one, only that other than that one thing everyone’s different but everyone ultimately seeks happiness. And that’s why the go giver methodology if you will, is congruent with human nature. Because it’s honoring the fact that that person is going to make decisions based on their own values, which is how it should be.

Jim Rembach:    Now you also mentioned something about a good or a question being a bad first question. Now I know that we do that a lot, just meaning as people, we often just jump to a question that at oftentimes maybe, and even if they ask or should be fifth or sixth down the line, what is good first question to you?

Bob Burg:     Well in the story, I think you’re referring to when Joe the protegé was talking about making a killing or something making a lot of money and that’s the number one thing to ask, will it make money? And Pindar the main mentor said, “Well, ask him if something will make money isn’t a bad question it’s a great question it’s just a bad first question. First ask, will it serve? The statement asked first will it serve is meant twofold, one is it something that’s a good thing. Alright, is it a good thing towards the advancement of light? Is it something that will help people, that’s not always a good first question? The second thing is, is there a market for it? Is it something people will want? You can have greatest invention in the world but if no one wants it then you’re going to have an expensive hobby you’re not going to have a business. 

And what happens is when someone says, ‘but I need to make money’ ‘Oh, yeah, of course part of business is making money, a lot of money, that’s wonderful. You provide a service, you provide value you make a lot of money. But asking if it will make money as a first question is sort of like driving down a highway at high speed while looking in the in the rearview mirror, it’s the wrong question to ask first because it doesn’t serve if it doesn’t have value to the marketplace that people understand and embrace you’re not going to make money. 

Jim Rembach:    That’s for true. Talking about wrong direction and getting on the right direction a lot of times we use quotes on the show in order to help us find that right point to be headed on to and path to follow. Is there a quote or two that stands out for you that helps you on the right path? 

Bob Burg:     Well, there’s a quote I’ve been saying since I first started in business and it’s been I guess the underlying premise of everything that I’ve taught I guess as a speaker and an author and that is: All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. And I think that when we can keep that quote in mind whenever we’re about to embark in a new relationship, whether business or personal what have you, we’re going to stay on the right track because it we’ve got to know it’s about the people. You look at technology and you look at new leaders coming into the fold and they’ve got this wonderful technology at hand but what they’ve got to understand is that even with the best technology in the world leadership is never about the technology it’s always about the people, the technology is simply a tool. 

Geoff Colvin wrote a fantastic book called ‘People are Underrated’ and  what his premise was in this book that is technology continues to advanced, which it will, and will continue to do so many things not only better than humans can do it but the humans can’t even do it’s still going to be the key qualities of a leader is still going to be empathy, gratitude, team building collaboration all those human things is so important and as long as we remember that then we never put the technology first we let the technology be the servant not the master.

Jim Rembach:    That’s a good point. Now I know along the lines even when you started talking about moving and finally realizing your dream to be third baseman of the boss in Regs, I suppose it’s going to happen, we have a lot of humps to get over in life, is there a time where you’ve got to get over the hump and it really made you a better person that you can share?

Bob Burg:     Numerous times both personally and in business. I learned a very important lesson in the mid-to-late 90’s, this is when the technology revolution is really taking place. We didn’t have social media yet but we were really starting to have a very technology based form of humanity happening and I’m not a technical person, by nature I’m not, and so it’s scares me. I have a very successful business at that time that did not depend on technology other than e-mails I really did not need to use technology at all. And I got complacence and I knew and I was told by people who knew that you’re going to have to learn some of these stuff, you’re going to have to at least be familiar with it be comfortable, and you know what? I got a little cocky and was feeling a little too much like I had things together and it really set me back. It’s interesting in the field of personal development, which you’re in and I’m in and many people listening to this are in as teachers, as students, we’re all students, we have our own form of political correctness, if you will, certain things that are said and just accept it as dogma and one of them is that, ‘I love change even if it’s uncomfortable I still love it because it helps me grow.’ 

You know something Jim, I hate change. I like things the way they are. And yet I knew I needed to change and I resisted and I didn’t do it and it really set my business back. And over a couple of years I got really, really left behind and I had to, regroup and rebuild my business. And eventually I did and that was fine and now I’ve got a great team around me and they know technology and now I really enjoy the technology part, not the—yeah, I couldn’t program a thing but the usability of it. 

Jim Rembach:    I know for all of us sometimes we get stuck in that habit of things going well and oftentimes it’s the outside that causes us to disrupt ourselves and that’s the part that’s painful I think of change is waiting to that point to occur but it happens, it does. So, you talked about doing the online learning in order to be able to, maybe not, hit the airwaves as much as you have been, and you have—talking about working on the Board of Trustees, and still a baseball fan which—hey, hey, me too—what are some your goals beyond that?

Bob Burg:     We are also, aside from our Go-Giver Sales Academy, we’re building a team of certified Go-Giver speakers and coaches. So, we have them in several countries now and it’s a growing team and basically they have buy the rights to be able to teach all the Go-Giver properties. I always say with quotation marks around it, my intellectual property, because it’s very hard for me tell them that I would have intellectual property, if you knew we’re going to school you know why. So, building that is just fun, I’m fond of work, I don’t I don’t have a lot of hobbies. I do love baseball and a couple times a year I’ll get down to Miami to catch a Miami Marlins game and I watch them on TV when I can but you know, I’m a voracious reader I absolutely, absolutely love reading. I love learning it just fascinates me but really my life is my work I do love it and that tends to be what consumes me in a very good way. 

Jim Rembach:     And the Fast Leader Legion wishes you the very best. Now before we move, let’s get a quick word from our sponsor. 

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Jim Rembach:     Alright here we go Fast Leader Legion it’s time for the Hump Day Hoedown. Okay, Bob, the Hump Day Hoedown is the part of our show where you give us good insights fast. So, I’m going to ask you several questions and your job is to give us robust yet rapid responses that are going to help us move onward and upward faster.  Bob Burg are you ready to hoedown?

Bob Burg:     I am ready, I will do my best. 

Jim Rembach:     Alright. So what do you think is holding you back from being an even better leader today?

Bob Burg:     Oh! You would have to ask me something I can’t answer that fast. Myself, I would be what’s holding me back. 

Jim Rembach:     What is best leadership advice you have ever received?

Bob Burg:     Oh! Get around leaders who are great leaders and learn from them and keep them keep reading about it.

Jim Rembach:     What is one of your best secrets that you believe contributes to your success?

Bob Burg:     I don’t know if it’s a secret as something that I feel I have a lot of and that is a sense of empathy for others. I can I can very easily relate to what others feel and communicate that. 

Jim Rembach:     What do you feel is one of your best tools that helps you lead in business or life?

Bob Burg:     One of my best tools…? Is that a physical tool or like online or just a quality?

Jim Rembach:     Whatever comes to mind. 

Bob Burg:     I would say it’s having just such a genuine caring about those people I lead and I think that comes through.

Jim Rembach:     What would be one book that you’d recommend to our listeners and it could be from any genre? 

Bob Burg:     The Secret of Selling Anything by Harry Browne, written in the 60’s as a manuscript, published posthumously it is the best book I’ve ever read on understanding human nature and connecting that with selling. 

Jim Rembach:     Okay Fast Leader listeners you can find links to that and other bonus information, which would include a link to Bob’s first chapter of the Go-Giver on the show notes page at fastleader.net/Bog Burg. Okay, Bob, this is my last Hump Day Hoedown question: Imagine you were given the opportunity to go back to the age of 25 and you have been given the opportunity to take the knowledge and skills that you have now back with you but you can’t take everything back you can only choose one, what skill or piece of knowledge would you take back with you and why? 

Bob Burg:     It would be the knowledge that I don’t know anywhere near as much as I think I know and I would take back the quote, I would paraphrase the quote by Mark Twain and say: “What could get me into trouble is not what I don’t know but what I think I know that just ain’t so.”

Jim Rembach:     Bob, it was an honor to spend time with you today, can you please share the Fast Leader Legion how they can connect with you?

Bob Burg:     Sure Jim, and it was a pleasure to spend time with you, I’m honored to be on your program. The best place to reach me is just the gogiver.com everything is pretty much there right on the site.

Jim Rembach:     Bob Burg, thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom, the Fast Leader legion honors you and thanks you for helping us get over the hump. Woot! Woot!

Thank you for joining me on the Fast Leader show today. For recaps, links from every show, special offers and access to download and subscribe, if you haven’t already, head on over the fastleader.net so we can help you move onward and upward faster. 

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