The Trusted Advisor

By David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford

Published by Free Press (division of Simon & Schuster), $25

Reviewed by Joseph E. Godfrey, III, CLU, AEP, director of CPA/client services
for American Business & Professional Program, Inc., New York, N.Y.

Any professional will want to keep this book nearby for handy reference. As industries, companies, professionals, and individuals become more high-tech, the “high touch” factor becomes ever more important. This is the premise behind The Trusted Advisor.

Most professionals tend to be analytical, viewing content, data, and technical proficiency as preeminent. However, the reviewer’s personal experience and this book indicate that successful business development efforts with new and existing clients stem from strong relationships built on both technical proficiency and trust. You may be able to get along for a while with just one, but you need both of them for the long term.

where T = trustworthiness, C = credibility, R = reliability, I = intimacy, and S = self-orientation. Using this equation, the higher an advisor’s self-interest, the lower the level of trust—a sensible assumption. The book explores in detail the multiple dimensions of trust and shows how to develop them in the best interests of the client, which are also the best interests of the advisor.

I heartily recommend this book to businesspersowns, professional advisors, and anyone else who works closely with people every day where trusting relationships are important.

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