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By Jeffery Ponts, Executive Vice President, Datatel Solutions Inc.

The most overused and watered down description is the coveted trusted adviser role. Do a search on PHONE+ or the discussion boards and you will find more articles than you can read.  I am now part of the crowd by writing this blog.

A couple weeks ago I was invited to a carrier training event that had invited both their direct sales team and the channel. I listened in amazement to the direct sales force use the term “trusted adviser” liberally when they discussed how they introduce themselves to the customer. I know that two of these direct sales team members had different professions just six months ago. 

No one is happy with his title anymore. Here are a few, but I am sure you can add many more to the list:

• Sales – Trusted Adviser
• Janitor – Facilities Engineer
• Garbage Collector – Sanitation Engineer
• Secretary – Administrative Executive

I still believe sales is a noble profession. Aside from the government, few employers could exist without a well-trained sales force.  However, to be a trusted adviser you need to have done something already that put you above the curve and gave the customer reason to trust your advice in other matters.

How to become a trusted adviser:

1. Earn trust, not immediately, but over time through a series of small steps.
2. Build trust, not over a transaction, but through a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
3. Listen, listen, listen, and then advise only after you have exhausted all potential issues.
4. Make sure the customer truly understands all options.
5. Always tells the truth.

I am not telling you anything that you do not already know, and would be happy if you would add additional comments below.

New technology demands we stay ahead of the curve to win the trusted adviser status. You sold the customer MPLS and it went well. Now they are considering cloud applications to run more efficiently and save money. Have you taken the time to educate yourself regarding moving trends? Do you have partners that can support the customer’s needs?

As a trusted adviser, you will be able to touch multiple points within the customer’s technology infrastructure creating a sticky customer. At the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Sept. 20-22 in Washington D.C., there will be a panel discussing this subject, which I strongly suggest you attend.  The Trusted Adviser has sticky customers. Sticky customers become your best referral sources and long-term revenue streams. Kind of a no brainer, don’t you think?

Jeffery Ponts is executive vice president of Datatel Solutions Inc., a master agency he co-founded in early 2003.  Ponts and his business partner Daniel Langton have grown Datatel Solutions into a national entity with eight agent managers and more than 300 agents. Previously, Ponts was a vice president and general manager at Telepacific Communications, where he was responsible for the Bay Area and Las Vegas markets with duties covering technical, administrative, and direct and channel sales.  Ponts has more than 20 years of telecom experience covering LEC, CLEC, and integration/software with the vast majority of his experience in channel sales and management. He also is a member of the 2009-10 PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board.