7 Top Sales Leaders On What Being a “Trusted Advisor” Means to Them
Over the past decade, the term “trusted advisor” has taken root in sales and throughout the business world. But what does it actually mean to be a trusted advisor? Is the term more than a couple of buzzwords? And does it still matter to sales leaders of today? We asked, and here’s what they had to say:
Sharing is caring.
“I like what [trusted advisor] stands for: You’re either in blast mode and just barging in on prospects and customers about what you want, or you have a different mindset of how you add value. For example, engaging with insights is a great one. Sharing interesting, relevant content, and also reading and learning about your customers.” — Mike Derezin, Vice President of Sales Solutions, LinkedIn
Less is more.
“This concept of trusted advisor is going to matter more than ever before. It’s the most fun part of sales, but it’s also the hardest part to teach people how to do … I hear a lot of companies talking about it, but I don’t see a lot of companies acting on it…you have to teach them the balance of what it means, and how the less they focus on their quota and the stress of their quota this month, and the more they focus on their customer being successful, the more the quota will take care of itself.”
— Tony Rodoni, EVP, Commercial Sales and Market Readiness, Salesforce
Honesty engenders trust.
“If you think about the attributes of the word ‘trust’ itself, it means that people believe you for the words that you speak, not for some ulterior motive. Obviously it’s a delicate balance when you’re asking for financial investment; but if you don’t have the trust of a prospect, he or she isn’t going to buy from you. So honesty, despite the fact that it may not put you or your solution in the best light, is really important.”
— Stephen Morse, Vice President of Global Sales Engineering and Technical Success, Mixpanel
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