Ten Attributes of a Trusted Advisor

In business-to-business sales, a number of marketing gurus say you need to sell consultatively, that is, behave like a consultant, rather than a vendor.  Or they say you must become a trusted advisor and craft your sales cycle around that notion.  Charles H. Green of Trusted Advisor Associates has a good article on the topic.

So let's say you want to become a trusted advisor to your customers and prospects.  What does that mean?  For this, I turn to numerous children's books, where a fabled King always had a trusted advisor by his side to provide counsel on important matters of the day. 

Here are 10 key attributes of successful trusted advisors (that is, those who didn't have their heads lopped off for violating one of these rules):

1. A trusted advisor puts your success ahead of their own.
2. A trusted advisor doesn't hold back critical information that could influence your decision.
3. A trusted advisor gives you the best advice he or she has at the time.
4. A trusted advisor has information that you don't have.
5. A trusted advisor wants a long-term relationship with you.
6. A trusted advisor has your best interests at heart.
7. A trusted advisor knows she or he will get punished if they give you bad advice.
8. A trusted advisor is willing to trust what you say.
9. A trusted advisor always invests more in you initially than they expect in return.
10. A trusted advisor doesn't spread rumours or speak ill of his competition.

Feel free to add more in the comments.

Comments

[Chris]

Great list, Steve. I'd take slight issue with #8 and #10:

#8: Trust - but verify. ;-)

#10: I should advise in an unbiased way - whether ill or positive. Adhere to #2 and #3 above #10, but only violate #10 when one of those two necessitates it.