By Debbie Depp
I've always defined Sales very simply. In Sales your
role is a trusted advisor. Your job is to make your
client's job easier. So why is this so difficult for
some people to do?
A common trait of the trusted advisor relationship is
that the advisor places a higher value on maintaining
and preserving the relationship itself than on the outcome
of the current transaction. The advisor makes a substantial
investment in the client, without guarantee of return,
before the relationship generates any income, let alone
any profit.
In The Trusted Advisor the authors identify
the distinct attributes of trusted advisors:
- They have a predilection to focus on the client,
rather than on themselves.
- They focus on the client as an individual, not as
a person fulfilling a role.
- They believe that a continued focus on problem definition
and resolution is more important than technical or
content mastery.
- They show a strong competitive drive aimed not at
competitors, but at constantly finding new ways to
be of greater service to the client.
- They are motivated more by an internalized drive
to do the right thing than by their own organization's
rewards or dynamics.
- They view methodologies, models, techniques and
business processes as means to an end - they are useful
if they prove effective for this client, and are discarded
if they don't.
- They believe that success in client relationships
is tied to the accumulation of quality client-contact
experience.
- They believe that both selling and serving are aspects
of professionalism; both prove dedication to help
clients with their issues.
- They believe that there is a distinction between
professional and private lives, but that both lives
are very personal. The two worlds are often more alike
than they are different - and for some people, these
worlds overlap to an extraordinary extent.
A client relationship is like a heart transplant. To
keep it healthy you must guard against rejection. To
accomplish this you must have a solid start and be able
to avoid breakdowns that can jeopardize the relationship.
In other words, you can take nothing for granted. Every
aspect must be addressed and explored. Here's how:
- Define performance measures.
- Get everyone on board.
- Make your meetings collaborative.
- Anticipate tough issues.
- Don't try to win (even when you're right).
- Communicate widely.
- When broken, mend trust.
Sometimes a metaphor concisely captures and conveys
meaning better than words. Such is the case with Lieutenant
Columbo, the television homicide detective played by
Peter Falk for three decades. The Columbo character
embodies a number of characteristics that can be useful
for successful advisors.
Although his rumpled appearance and aloof manner hardly
seem imposing, Columbo has an instinctive knack for
drawing out the criminal and confirming his (correct)
suspicions. He uses his style to eradicate a preconception,
thereby setting the other party at ease. The "client"
is willing to talk openly and honestly, describing things
as he perceives them and not as he wants others to perceive
them. Information is offered; personalities emerge;
progress toward resolution can be made. This is his
genius, and it is what a trusted advisor must emulate.
Like Columbo, genius lies in neutralizing expectations
about yourself, stripping away illusion and pretension,
subordinating your ego to the service of the "client."
And, of course, he always wins.
The
Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H.
Green and Robert M. Galford
Trusted
Partners by Jordan D. Lewis
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