The Go-Giver Influencer Interview with John David Mann

Summary

After The Go-Giver’s publication back in 2008, Bob and John went on to apply the Go-Giver idea — that is, the more you give, the more you have — to sales (Go-Givers Sell More), leadership (The Go-Giver Leader), and education (A Teacher’s Guide to The Go-Giver). The natural question was, “What’s next?” In these highly polarized times, they thought it might be helpful to explore a Go-Giver approach to influence and the role it plays in our capacity for empathy, civil discourse, and the ability to see another’s perspective.

At its heart, The Go-Giver Influencer is a story about what it takes to bridge differences, to settle disputes and defang conflicts, to find common ground where there appear to be only irreconcilably polarized positions. (And, yes, even to negotiate business dealings.) It is also about what it takes to be someone whom others trust and look to for sound guidance, clear judgment, and evenhanded wisdom in times of challenge.

John’s Introduction

John David Mann has worn an awful lot of hats: concert cellist, award-winning composer, high school founder, educator, publisher, entrepreneur, marketer, public speaker, television host, and event master of ceremonies — but what he really loves to do is stay home, take quiet walks with his wife, and sit in his favorite armchair writing books. John is best known as the co-creator, with his friend Bob Burg, of the beloved Go-Giver series.

First published a decade ago, The Go-Giver has sold nearly a million copies in two dozen languages. It won the 2008 Axiom Business Book Award Gold Medal, and last year was awarded with the prestigious Living Now Book Award’s Evergreen Medal, given for the book’s “contribution to positive global change.” Now John and Bob have just published The Go-Giver Influencer — a brand new go-giver parable whose wisdom is imparted, in part, by two very special four-legged friends.

Legendary business coach Marshall Goldsmith called this book “the most important Go-Giver book yet,” saying, “in today’s polarized world, it could not be more timely.”

John, welcome to the show!

Suggested Interview Questions

• What led the two of you to want to write this book?
• What is an “influencer”? And what is a go-giver influencer?
• The book’s subtitle is, “a little story about a most persuasive idea.” Can you describe what that persuasive idea is?
• What exactly is influence? Is it something that just comes to some people naturally, like charisma, or can anyone develop it? And if so, how?
• The story revolves around a business negotiation over the course of a week, and there’s a character who calls her approach “Natural Negotiation.” Would you describe this book as a course in how to be a “Go-Giver negotiator”?
• In the other Go-Giver parables, there was one main character and one mentor. Here, there are two of each. Why?
• Let’s walk through the “five secrets of genuine influence,” starting with the first: What does it mean to “master your emotions,” and how do we do it?
• When you talk about “setting your feelings to the side,” doesn’t that make you inauthentic? Isn’t it important to stay true to your feelings?
• Secret #2 is “step into the other person’s shoes.” How do we do that, and what does it accomplish?
• In that part of the book, the Coach character suggest that you “listen with the back of your neck.” What in the world does that mean?
• Secret #3 is to “set the frame.” What does that mean, and how do you do it?
• Isn’t that kind of the same thing as manipulation?
• Secret #4 is “communicate with tact and empathy.” Which sounds good, but again: how?
• Secret #5 is the one that struck me as oddest: “let go of having to be right.” Which sounds a little like not having the strength of your convictions, or being wishy washy. What did you mean by this one?
• Finally, I’ve got to ask: are any characters in the book based on real people?

Images

Download John’s photo and images of the book cover by clicking on the High Res (print quality) or Low Res (web quality) link, then right-click on the image and click Save Image As.