Tom Cates, President of Brookeside Group, was a featured instructor at our spring Sales Coaching Summit in Austin, TX. In today's competitive landscape, organizations that understand how to become a trusted advisor, in the eyes of their customers, will win. The financial benefits are considerable. Here are the highlights from his Summit session about the six dimensions of a trusted advisor relationship.
The 6 Dimensions of a Trusted Advisor Relationship
1. Integrity
- Are you reliable, dependable?
Do I believe you will do what you say?
2. Competency
- Can you actually do what you promise?
3. Recognition
- Do I feel like an unique individual, or am I just a segment, a demographic, or a number?
4. Proactivity
- Are you looking out for my best interests, ensuring I don’t encounter an unwanted surprise?
5. Savvy
- Do you understand the “bigger picture”…what my world is really like?
6. Chemistry
- Do I like working with you? Do we ‘click’?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Where are you NOW? Do you have a relationship or a transaction?
- What is MISSING? What dimension is missing from the relationship? Is it just this relationship or throughout many clients?
- What behavior must your team demonstrate?
