Give The Go-Giver a read! 

John David Mann and Bob Burg’s book The Go-Giver, A Little Story about a Powerful Idea is packed with thoughtful points for every agency manager who wants to improve his organization’s selling skills. We thank one of our good clients, a devotee of Mann and his articles for Networking Times (an online community at www.networkingtimes.com), for putting us onto Mann and Burg. 

One grabber by Mann, a contributing editor to Networking Times, is his belief about the role of love in business. In one blog posting, Being in Love, The Number One Prospect Criterion, he writes about the best prospects for business networking efforts.  He asks, “When you go prospecting, who are you really looking for? I think you are looking for someone who falls in love; i.e. someone who becomes passionate about the opportunity your business model offers.  

Mann cites three signs to look for. Paraphrasing his comments… 

They see it.  

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; so is opportunity.  There’s an expression in networking: you can’t say the right thing to the wrong person, and you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person.  This is true in courtship, in genuine friendships, and in your business. 

They want it. 

It requires…a willingness and capacity to work in partnership with others; and faith in human nature.  Most of all it requires a compelling interest in succeeding at this business that borders on passion. 

They do it. 

There are people who see it, want it, but just won’t do it.  Puzzling, I know, but there it is.  What’s missing?  They’re not in love.  You can’t make them see it, nor want it, nor do it.  You can’t make someone fall in love.