MY NOTES: 5 Things I Learned from the Go-Giver Tour and XBM

By Bradley Will -

For those who have been sleeping under a rock, I’ll bring you up to speed.  The Go-Giver Tour was a road trip that went down a just over a month ago, in which 9 entrepreneurs made their way from Chicago to Orlando to attend Extreme Business Makeovers, a annual event hosted by internationally best selling author Bob Burg and his business partner Thom Scott.  The vision of this trip started when 4 out of the box entrepreneurs were touched by the message behind the book the Go-Giver.  They conducted a video application process where they selected five young entrepreneurs to join in the cross country journey to inspire, empower and connect with people through the message of this book.

(winners:@davehageman @justinburns @invanavalos @mikemonty @emanuelavalos)

This was a tremendous learning experience for all of us.  Personally, I built great business/personal relationships with many brilliant entrepreneurs, speakers and authors.  Out of my notebook, here are the top 5 things I learned from the trip:

1.  Social media can transform a great event into a *kick ass* event. Something fascinating was pointed out to me following the event.  A new found friend of mine, Christine Coleman of One Degree Connected™, mentioned to me that after attending dozens of events, she had never experienced anything like XBM 2009.  We discussed why this was and came up with two components.  1. Amazing hosts brought in amazing speakers which attracted a community of like-minded ‘giving’ people.   2. Online social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Ustream along with a series of Go-Giver Tour conference calls, allowed people to connect prior to the event.  By the time we arrived at the event, many of the attendees had several previous conversations with each other and people were just picking up where they left off.  Many had let down their walls prior to the event and it felt like we were at “summer camp”, as someone described it, no one wanting to leave.

Social media created a synergy between the attending group and it facilitated communication across the group, or “tribe”, of people instead of the speaker talking solely to the audience.  It basically created a giant conversation in where content from the event was shared in real time through Facebook and Twitter by the group to the outside world. This allowed people not in attendance to be included in the community and experience a “taste” of the event.  The #hashtag #XBM even became a trending topic on Twitter due to the abundance of people tweeting about the great content.

“The more high tech we become, the more high touch we must be.” -@ThomScott

2.  Never expect anyone to remember your name. The thought of that expectation is quite arrogant, don’t you think?  Like I previously mentioned, before the event, social networking allowed me to connect with dozens of people who were planning to attend XBM.  There were several people who approached me who I could not put a face to the name (sorry!).  Maybe it was the hair they recognized, who knows!  Sometimes, at networking events, people approach you without introducing themselves, which could a be quite uncomfortable situation.  Ever happen to you?  To avoid this occurrence, always introduce yourself first by saying your name and it will put an expectation on them to do the same.

What if you forget someone’s name?  No worries!  We do a lot of networking as entrepreneurs and it will happen from time to time.  Just flat out say “I am sorry, I forgot your name.”  When you address it, the uncomfortableness will be removed and allows you to focus entirely on the conversation and become a better listener.  One thing I admire about Bob Burg is the way he makes people feel so comfortable in his presence.

“Nothing good comes out of a potentially embarrassing situation.” -@BobBurg

3.  Connectors win through edification. Probably the greatest connector I know is Bob Burg.  Bob has a fantastic gift of remembering names and facts about those people.  Also, by thoroughly listening to people, he connects people together that he knows will be a great fit.  Bob is also incredible at edifying his peers. By edification, I mean building up people before you introduce them.  For example, he would say something like “Hey Charles, I would like to meet Sara.  Sara is a world class author who has a mission of helping young kids find mentors.  She has connected over 500 kids to mentors through following her passion.”  Then After the edification of each individual, you’re done…Tell them you have a matter to attend to and walk away.  To do this effectively, you must genuinely care for the success of your peers.  By actively listening and putting others’ interests first, people will want to return the favor to you.

4.  Find your sweet spot. Why do so many people hate what they do for a living?  They haven’t found their sweet spot.  In order to find out your sweet spot, or your major gift, think of those things that come easy to you. To you it’s no big deal, but to others, it’s incredible. What are those things that others come to you for that for you, it’s as easy as breathing and you’d do it for fun whether you were paid or not?  First ask “does what I do add value?”,  then ask “does it serve?” and when you can answer these both then you can talk about monetizing (that word is so misused) turning your passion into profits.

5. You’re authentic-self has no competition. The majority of this country is raised with a poverty mindset.  We get so caught up in the numbers.  I hear people talk about competition all the time in social media.  Are you kidding me? There is so much abundance, it is unbelievable.  People can imitate me all day long and it would look like I have competition.  Don’t be mistaken.  People do business with people they know like and trust. We are our brands and if there is an incongruity with who you are and the message you put out, you will be exposed.  When others move in the same space as me, I think its great.  I encourage it.  It means more money will be trading hands.  When you are operating out of a place called your ‘true authentic self,’ there is zero competition.  People are going to connect with you and the unique way you deliver the message.  Look at the book the Go-Giver.  I don’t believe there are any new success principles taught in this book?  So, why it is so successful and has reached so many people who have not been reached before is because Bob Burg and John David Mann do a brilliant job telling the story.  We all have a unique way to tell the story.  What is yours?

If you were part of the Go-Giver Tour or XBM, please share with us below what your *BIG TAKEAWAY* was from the events.

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About Bradley (www.BradleyWill.com)

Bradley Will is a “Gnarly Entrepreneur,” who lives to push the limits of life.  Sick of the traditional “interruption” marketing approach to selling, he quickly gravitated to social media and shifted to a value based strategy.  He has become a powerful Voice and Consultant in developing social media marketing strategies for small businesses and entrepreneurs.  Bradley is also an active Leader in the Gen-Y Entrepreneurial Community where he lives to promote, coach and grow with other young entrepreneurs.

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