Being a trusted advisor means asking the difficult questions.

The one question the answer to which will often do the most to help you help your dream client is why they haven’t already found a way to achieve the outcomes they need. The answer…

Staking out that trusted advisor, Level 4 Value Creator™ position requires that you do more than sell your client what they need right now. To own that position, you have to be future-oriented. You have to help your dream client build a platform…

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet.

1. Are you willing to tell the truth,…

When you engage a new prospect for the very first time, you have to decide whether or not you are going to be a transactional salesperson or a consultative salesperson. Your dream client doesn’t know who you are, and they are going to do their…

You can’t create the maximum value for your clients without taking risks.

Some of your prospective clients will already have a solution in mind. But you may have a way to create an even bigger, even better outcome for them. But that puts the…

You want your dream clients to find you interesting, insightful, and compelling. You want them to recognize that you are the value (or a very big part of it). You want to be Mr. Trusted Advisor or Ms. Consultative Salesperson. If you’re going to…

Most salespeople are honest and ethical. But it’s not so much because the balance of power between buyer and seller has changed as it pertains to who has information. And it’s not because the Internet allows buyers to turn the tables on sellers…