The Trusted Advisor Quotes

“There is an old saying, “It is amazing what you can achieve if you are not wedded to who gets the credit.” The”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“It is ironic that a business in which the serving of clients depends so heavily on interpersonal psychology should be peopled with those who believe in the exclusive power of technical mastery. And”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“Clients recognize excessive self-orientation through such things as: 1. A tendency to relate their stories to ourselves 2. A need to too quickly finish their sentences for them 3. A need to fill empty spaces in conversations 4. A need to appear clever, bright, witty, etc. 5. An inability to provide a direct answer to a direct question 6. An unwillingness to say we don’t know 7. Name-dropping of other clients 8. A recitation of qualifications 9. A tendency to give answers too quickly 10. A tendency to want to have the last word 11. Closed-ended questions early on 12. Putting forth hypotheses or problem statements before fully hearing the client’s hypotheses or problem statements 13. Passive listening; a lack of visual and verbal cues that indicate the client is being heard 14. Watching the client as if he/she were a television set (merely a source of data)”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“Reconfirm scheduled events before they happen. Announce changes to scheduled or committed dates as soon as they change. Intimacy”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Send meeting materials in advance”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Reliability in this largely rational sense is the repeated experience of links between promises and action.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Sincerity, the way we usually mean it, has to do with intentions; we assume it comes from within. But our clients have no way to observe sincerity except through external behaviors. From certain behaviors (attention paid, interest shown, advance work done, empathetic listening), we infer the internal state we call sincerity. Thus,”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“The attitude of exclusive professionalism (which restricts the label of professionalism to the advisor) manifests itself in a number of dysfunctional ways. It reinforces a misleading belief that the advisor’s job is to solve problems rather than to help the client solve problems.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“I don’t try to replace existing relationships. My role is to leverage and support key relationships which clients have developed over years. For example, if the client has an investment broker, even though I am securities-licensed, I will simply serve as an advisor/coordinator. I am there to augment, to find ways to add value, to be the quarterback who might pass things to others, not to carry the ball alone (to continue the football analogy).”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“Among other things, effective advice giving requires an ability to suppress one’s own ego and emotional needs. The most effective way to influence a client is to help the person feel that the solution was (to a large extent) his or her idea, or at the very least, his or her decision. One way to do this is to help the client understand all the available options by conducting a thorough exploration of advantages, disadvantages, risks, and costs.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“One way to do this is to help the client understand all the available options by conducting a thorough exploration of advantages, disadvantages, risks, and costs.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“The most effective way to influence a client is to help the person feel that the solution was (to a large extent) his or her idea, or at the very least, his or her decision.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“a thing so?” to “Why did/didn’t you…?” In coaching, as in advisory, you strive for curiosity, not judgment. Curiosity is the door opener to and a sustainer of intimacy. I”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“The principle here is that the successful advisor assumes responsibility for the proper mutual understanding.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“To get your advice taken, the client must first believe and feel that you have taken the time to understand their unique situation.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” It”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“I will answer your questions, directly and truthfully, even if it means losing a chance at your business.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“The theme of this book is that the key to professional success is not just technical mastery of one’s discipline (which is, of course, essential), but also the ability to work with clients in such a way as to earn their trust and gain their confidence.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“As you look at a client, force yourself to ask three questions: • What is the client’s prevailing personal motivation? • What is their personality? • How does the state of their organization affect their worldview?”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“Another Look Here’s another way of looking at the five stages: 1. Engage: Uses language of interest and concern “I’ve been thinking about your competitors, and …” “Your people have been telling me about …” 2. Listen: Uses language of understanding and empathy “Tell me more about …” “What’s behind that?” “Gosh, that must feel …” 3. Frame: Uses language of perspective and candor “I see three key themes emerging here …” “You know, what’s tough to do here is …” 4. Envision: Uses language of possibility “Wouldn’t it be great if …” 5. Commit: Uses language of joint exploration “What would it take, for each of us, to …”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“McDonald’s likes to describe professionals that serve them (such as advertising agencies) as having “ketchup in their veins.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“The trick of earning trust is to avoid all tricks.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

“Four Essential Elements That Engender Trust (Chapter 8) 1. Credibility 2. Reliability 3. Intimacy 4.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“10. Return calls unbelievably fast Stephanie Wethered, the pastor referred to earlier, does this. She tries to return calls within ten minutes. She says it’s the most trust-creating thing she does; no one expects it, and it demonstrates how much she values the other person. 11.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Where are we likely to encounter the most resistance? •”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Are there any topics I should avoid because they are too delicate to discuss in a large forum? • Are there any topics on which the views of your colleagues are significantly divided? •”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Review agendas with your client, before meetings, before phone calls, before discussions. Clients should know that they can expect you to always solicit their views on how time will be spent. 6.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Use the client’s “fit and feel” around terminology, style, formats, hours. 5.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Make sure meetings have clear goals, not just agendas, and ensure the goals are met. 4.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor

“Make specific commitments to your client around small things: getting that article by tomorrow, placing the call, writing the draft by Monday, looking up a reference. And then deliver on them, quietly, and on time. 2.”
― David H. Maister, The Trusted Advisor