The Trusted Advisor

The key to professional success, they argue, is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients. The creation of trust is what earns the right to influence clients; trust is also at the root of client satisfaction and loyalty. The workings of trust are even more critical in the new economy than in the old. Maister, Green, and Galford enrich our understanding of trust---yet they have also written a deeply practical book. Using their model of the "Trust Equation," they dissect the rational and emotional components of trustworthiness. With precision and clarity, they detail five distinct steps you must take to create a trust-based relationship. Each step---engage, listen, frame, envision, and commit---is richly described in distinct chapters.

The book is peppered with pragmatic "top ten" lists aimed at improving advisors' effectiveness that can be put to use instantly. This book will be welcomed by the inexperienced advisor and the most seasoned expert alike. The authors use anecdotes, experiences, and examples---successes and mistakes, their own and others'---to great effect. Though they use the professional services advisor/client paradigm throughout the book, their prescriptions have resonance for other trust-reliant situations---selling, customer relationship management, and internal staff functions like HR and information technology. The result is a tour de force---brilliant, penetrating, unique. It is essential listening for anyone who must advise, negotiate, or manage complex relationships with others.