e-Course Day 22 Email
SUBJECT: [DIY Marketing] Trust Me – You Need to be a Trusted Advisor
Hi, {!firstname}. None of us started our careers or our businesses
as ‘trusted advisors’ to our clients or customers, but we can all
point to people in our lives who are just that – trusted advisors.
Today we’ll look at why being a trusted advisor can boost your
business and how you can achieve this coveted status.
Oh, and if you just signed up, you can see the course info we’ve
already covered right here:
http://www.diymarketingmonth.com/e-course-email-recap/
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“He irritated the hell our of me sometimes. But he wasn’t a
nuisance because he always gave good counsel.”
– Rochard Mahoney (Former Monsanto CEO speaking of his trusted
advisor)
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Achieving the status of being a trusted advisor to your customers
and clients takes time, that is certain, but it also comes with its
fair share of rewards. In fact, a study done a few years ago found
that sales people who came to be regarded as trusted advisors were
69% more likely to come away with a sale than those who had not
reached trusted advisor status.
Every entrepreneur and organization needs to progress through a
series of stages on the way to being a trusted advisor. Generally,
the stages work out like this:
1. Subject matter expert – offering a product or service
2. Expert that sells a product and advice about the field
3. A valued resource with a relationship-based clientele
4. Trusted advisor status with trust-based clients & partners
As a solopreneur or a head of a small company, it’s imperative that
you work to bring your relationships to the level where clients and
customers trust you on a deep personal level. Before you get set
on the path to becoming a trusted advisor, you need to be in the
right mindset to do so. Here’s what I mean:
1. Trusted advisors have the ability to focus solely on the
other person. Think about your interactions, are you speaking
or is the customer?
2. Confidence in your positioning and differentiation to the
point where your “competitors” are not the focus but rather
the client’s needs are. Focus on their issues, and if you’re
the right fit, the relationship grows along with their trust.
3. Ego in check. You won’t always be right, in fact, some of
the most storied trusted advisor relationships involved
arguments, tension and challenge. If you keep your ego out
of the equation, what’s the right solution for those you serve?
4. Perpetual curiosity about the industry, clients’ issues, new
technology and finding the absolute best solution regardless of
whether or not it’s on your roster of services or in your warehouse.
Know-it-alls know nothing about being a long-term trusted advisor.
5. Being a “true professional” in everything you do. Letting a client
see the mess in the process, a customer see how a product is made or
working through a problem when no one knows the answer but has some
vision for the outcome.
These are just some of the traits that make for a trusted advisor
that wins and keeps the business. They’ve earned the right be
be someone that a customer confides in, trusts and comes back
to time and time again.
***** ACTION SUMMARY *****
1. Take the “Trust Quotient” Self-Diagnostic Test. It will reveal
a lot about where you are in the process of becoming a trusted
advisor.
http://trustedadvisor.com/trustInstitute.trustQuotient/m
2. What can you do today, tomorrow and next week to engender
a greater level of TRUST within your client or customer base?
Focus on making your ears bigger than you mouth.
***** RESOURCES *****
>> “The Trusted Advisor” by David H.Maister
>> The Trust Matters blog
http://trustedadvisor.com/trustmatters/
Well, that’s all for now. Be on the lookout for next lesson
tomorrow.
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If you would like to learn more about MarketingSavant’s marketing
strategy, thought leadership or social media services, where you
work directly with me to build your business through strategic
marketing, go to:
http://www.marketingsavant.com/diymarketing
I’ve created a special set of offerings just for DIY Marketing
e-course members.
And, as always… think big and market well!
Yours truly,
Dana VanDen Heuvel
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MarketingSavant(TM)
Leading Through Thought
Social Media // Thought Leadership Marketing
www.marketingsavant.com
dana@marketingsavant.com
Twitter: danavan
888-989-7771
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