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.