When Could You (or Should You) Become a Trusted Adviser?

Richardson recently undertook an extensive survey among 15,000 sales professionals to try to understand what their key sales challenges were, and an above average response drew insights from various role levels, different company sizes and a range of industry sectors 

Three of the most significant challenges highlighted came in the categories of 'Account Management' and 'Expanding Client Relationships'. Of these 3 challenges, one was 'Becoming a Trusted Adviser', and the report had to say this on the topic

Becoming a trusted advisor is a long term effort. True trusted advosor status is conferred on a sales professional when that person becomes part of the client's own decision-making process on significant issues. Sales professionals cannot, nor should they, try to be trusted advisers to all of their clients. Sales leaders can help each sales professional to carefully select one significant client with whom that sales professional would like to achieve trusted advisor status.

The two other most significant challenges are described as 'Finding ways to add value' (38.5%) and 'Balancing sales and relationship management', and here the report had this to say

Clients want to feel that "you are one of them" before they allow a sales professional to expand opportunities within their companies

At first glance, these comments seem a little contradictory. If it's important for all clients to feel we are 'one of them', is it correct that we should only identify one client whom we would like to see us as a 'trusted adviser'? FranklinCovey's work in this area is to try and make the reputation of 'trusted adviser' accessible to all levels of account managers across all of their client contacts. For someone to be trusted, we recognise the two elements that need to be present - character and competence - and we build both through a person's intent to help their client succeed and their ability to structure a client interaction in way that they mutually explore the issues at hand, including likely impacts and potential constraints, such that they are in a better position to recommend a solution that exactly meets their clients needs.