Last week when Professor Smith spoke on Friday, there were many interesting and useful things in his talk, however, the theme that stuck out to me the most was “The Trusted Advisor.” Repeatedly during his talk, Smith emphasized the need for the salesman to become a Trusted Advisor. Today, I’ll be discussing what a Trusted Advisor is, how to become one, and the potential impacts on the sales process.
As for the first part, the Trusted Advisor is fairly accurate to its name, and is more than the typical relationship between a salesman and a client – the Advisor is a trusted source of information. In recent times, the power of information has shifted from being primarily held by the salesman to a much more equitable relationship – in many cases even in the favor of the client. With this being the case, you shouldn’t view sales merely as an opportunity to share product knowledge, that’s simply outdated. Instead, you should help the client beyond surface level information, help them interpret and understand, don’t just bombard them with facts. The Advisor is someone the client can turn to with questions, to clear up confusion, and that can be relied on for more than providing a service or product.
Luckily, many of the skills we have discussed previously in class are directly applicable to becoming a Trusted Advisor. The Advisor listens well and understands the clients position, he is attuned to their needs and understands the core of their problem. If you don’t fully understand their situation, you will be simply unable to provide a discerning intelligent interpretation. Utilize the pain funnel, ask questions, and above all view yourself as being there to help – not simply to sell.
The impact this can have on a sale is tremendous, the client gains respect and trust for the Advisor, and is willing to listen to them and be influenced. The Advisor is positioned to help the client to the best of their ability, something that is much more difficult to accomplish when viewing yourself simply as a salesman. Moreover, a client who feels directly helped and benefited by a salesman in the role of an Advisor is much more likely to continue a relationship with them – sales isn’t simply selling a product, its selling yourself and your integrity and trust. Being a Trusted Advisor can bring you not only future business, but beneficial relationships for both sides of the exchange in the future.
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