A common belief when it comes to sales success is that it’s a dog-eat-dog world. That the fastest and best way up the corporate ladder is to look out only for yourself. Not according to speaker and author Bob Burg, who says the key to success is actually shifting your focus from getting to giving. And by giving (or being a go-giver), he simply means constantly and consistently providing value to others.

Burg, who wrote the best seller The Go-Giver (co-authored with John David Mann), believes that the amount of money a person makes is directly related to the number of people they serve. “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust,” says Burg.

Here are five principles of a go-giver to keep in mind.

1. A go-giver is not the opposite of a go-getter.

While people assume go-givers are the opposite of a go-getter, they actually work hand in hand. Go-getters are necessary because they are the ones who take action and get things done. You can have the best thoughts, ideas and intention, but unless action is put into the mix, nothing will be accomplished. Every go-giver is a go-getter. There is no natural division between the two.

2. The opposite of a go-giver is a go-taker.

Go-takers do just that, they keep taking without adding value to the process or the situation. In a free-market based economy, nobody has to do business with you and nobody has to buy from you. When you can take the focus off yourself and shift it onto others, you become an asset of value to them. And, people want to do business with someone like that.

3. It's not just about being nice.

Nice is a great thing. People prefer to do business with nice people, versus those who are nasty. But being nice is not enough to be successful. There are those who are referred to as “nice,” who are also described as being “broke.” Success is a matter of doing the correct things in the success process.

4. It’s the secret to meeting your sales quota.

There is nothing wrong with setting goals and meeting quotas. But the best way to reach your goal is to be a go-giver. You are most likely to make a sale by bringing value to the other person. “Nobody is going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet. They are going to buy from you because they see value in doing so,” says Burg.

5. Go-givers still go to sales training.

Sales training is extremely important. As a sales professional, your job is much too important to wing it. Sales systems are absolutely invaluable and you cannot succeed without them. Belief in your product, product knowledge, and training are the baseline for getting into the game. Burg says the key differentiator is that over the top financially successful sales people understand it’s never about “them.” It’s never about the product or service. It’s about the other person.

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