Product Description

More than 15 million people in this country earn their livings by serving clients, and their numbers are growing every day. Unfortunately, far too few develop the skills and strategies needed to rise to the top in a world where clients have almost unlimited access to information and expertise. Supported by more than one hundred case studies and wisdom gleaned from interviews with dozens of leading CEOs and prominent business advisors, Clients for Life identifies what clients really want and lays out the core qualities that distinguish the client advisor -- an irreplaceable resource -- from the expert for hire -- a tradable commodity.

• Experts are specialists; advisors become deep generalists who have broad perspective.

• Experts are for hire; advisors have selfless independence, balancing client devotion with objectivity and detachment.

• Experts have professional credibility; advisors develop deep personal trust.

• Experts analyze; advisors synthesize and bring big-picture thinking to the table.

• Experts supply expertise and information; advisors are educators who provide insight and wisdom.

Portraits of history's most famously successful advisors, including Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, and J. P. Morgan, underscore these timeless qualities that modern professionals need to develop to excel in today's competitive environment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87989 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
USA Today Everything you ever wanted to know about being the perfect consultant is in Clients for Life...valuable for the most seasoned advisor, whether a lawyer, an accountant, or marketing professional. -- Review

Review
USA Today

Everything you ever wanted to know about being the perfect consultant is in Clients for Life...valuable for the most seasoned advisor, whether a lawyer, an accountant, or marketing professional.

About the Author
Jagdish Sheth is the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School, Emory University, and the founder of the Center of Relationship Marketing. He has served as an advisor and consultant to AT&T, Lucent, Motorola, and Young & Rubicam, and contributes regularly to The Wall Street Journal and other publications. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Customer Reviews

significant read for any client servicing professional
this is an understated gem of a book. typically you find the core of a book lying within a few chapters but I felt this book was very balanced, each chapter contributing a different perspective to how to create clients for life.

the authors illustrated each principle with a real example and its the lives of the great men / women that provides genuine inspiration to go further.

as an advertising professional, I like the framework presented here very much, it provides a practical basis for creating solid, long-term client relationships, no fuss, the real meat.

Its all about character
Strongly recommend this book. The professions would be better off if it were more widely read. An inspiring and enjoyable read, with interesting asides and illustrations. An anti-dote for aspiring individuals working in low-trust, money focussed organsiations.

How to Become a Distinguished Advisor
Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel convincingly retrace in Clients for Life the journey that professionals can make to become extraordinary advisers to some of their clients. Their findings are based not only on their personal experience, but perhaps more importantly, on in-depth interviews with leaders of major corporations who have gained significant experience in buying services and seeking advice from professionals.

Sheth and Sobel make a distinction among expert for hire, steady supplier, and extraordinary adviser on the professional services continuum. Some professionals are sought-after advisers instead of being just an expert for hire who offers his expertise on a transactional basis or a steady supplier who despite his repeated engagements has not been admitted to the inner circle of close advisers. Sheth and Sobel call this broad-based, abiding client relationship which generates collaboration and insight a breakthrough relationship.

Sheth and Sobel have isolated seven attributes that great professionals successfully develop and integrate into a powerful whole to come to a breakthrough relationship with a client. At the bottom of the pyramid, there are selfless independence (meeting clients' needs while preserving integrity) and empathy. Knowledge depth and breadth, synthesis, and judgment represent the thinking process that is expected from an extraordinary adviser. Finally, at the top of the pyramid, there are integrity and conviction that make up the character expected from such an extraordinary adviser. Sheth and Sobel illustrate each attribute with examples that help the practitioner put their recommendations into practice.

Great professionals have to infuse everything they do with a soul of abundance (doing the right thing regardless of monetary outcome), mission, and self-renewal. Sheth and Sobel conclude their examination of breakthrough relationships with the pitfalls and dilemmas in client relationships. Not all clients are open to this type of relationship.