Cambridge Business Association
The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook
Book

The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook

A Comprehensive Toolkit for Leading with Trust

Charles H. Green and Andrea P. Howe
Wiley, 2012
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Editorial Rating

7

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Recommendation

All relationships require trust, including professional situations where you sell to or advise other people. How do you define and cultivate trust? Consultants Charles H. Green and Andrea P. Howe start with an equation and use it as a template for practical, trust-building behavior in this worthy companion to the best-selling classic, The Trusted Advisor, which Green co-authored. Despite some confusing logic in the first section and a bit of repetition, this manual proves a thorough and thoughtful guide for building trust in a business setting. getAbstract recommends it to those seeking to establish and strengthen trust-based client relationships, and to readers of The Trusted Advisor looking to put that book’s counsel into practice.

Summary

Understanding Trust

Trust and trustworthiness are the cornerstones of good business relationships. When you trust people, you believe in them. When someone describes you as trustworthy, they think you deserve to be trusted. While most humans are self-absorbed, you will gain trust more easily if you step beyond your own world and reach out to form relationships. Be curious about others. Don’t be so focused on your own needs that you ignore or minimize the concerns of those around you. Take the time to get to know people. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

You must build influence to become a “trusted advisor.” Most people don’t make decisions rationally or logically. They think with their hearts, not with their heads, so you can influence your customers more effectively by appealing honestly to their emotions. Listen and try to understand their point of view, instead of pushing to get on with your sales pitch.

The Trust Equation and Core Principles

The equation for building trust is: Trustworthiness equals the sum of “credibility, reliability [and] intimacy,” all divided by “self-orientation.” Create credibility by always telling...

About the Authors

Charles H. Green, CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates, wrote Trust-Based Selling and co-authored The Trusted Advisor. Andrea P. Howe, director of learning for Trusted Advisor Associates, heads the BossaNova Consulting Group.

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