Butch is my Trusted Advisor

In a previous post I mentioned what it meant to be a Trusted Advisor in your customers’ eyes. After sharing that, I started thinking about what a Trusted Advisor actually looks like.

Well, for me it looks like Butch. Butch is my auto mechanic. He is also one of my Trusted Advisors.

I have told countless people about Butch. Butch knows more about cars and trucks than anyone I know. He has a fully equipped backyard garage in which he routinely performs miracles.

Butch is knowledgeable, honest, and willing to help. I bring Butch my vehicle problems and he provides solutions. Sometimes his solutions involve work he no longer does. He no longer works on differentials or transmissions. In his words: “I leave that to the experts who specialize in that type of work and have the tools and equipment to do the job right.” The fact that Butch clearly tells me what he can and cannot do increases his credibility with me. He does not say “yes” when he really means “maybe.”

I tell everyone about Butch. I trust him. He has my best interests at heart, even when it means losing business. I trusted him with my daughter’s car when she was driving back and forth to college. I trust him with my wife’s vehicle. I pay him a fair price for the work he does. I know it is a fair price because he told me it was fair and I have no reason to doubt him.

Let’s summarize: I trust Butch, he solves my problems, he is knowledgeable about what he can and can’t do, he has my best interests at heart, and he is fair. That’s what it takes to be a Trusted Advisor.

Here are three questions: Who are your Trusted Advisors? Which of your customers think of you as their Trusted Advisor? How do your know?

Gary Gerds, Managing Partner
E.G. Insight