How great professionals develop breakthrough relationships
By Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel

In Clients for Life, business strategists Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel ask what separates extraordinary professional advisors from ordinary ones.

They ask why do some professionals get flooded with work and become part of their clients' inner circle of advisors?

And why do others wait around listening for the phone to ring and when business does arrive always end up haggling over the price of their work with clients?

In their quest for the answer Sheth and Sobel interviewed dozens of corporate leaders - the heads of corporates such as Kodak, Motorola and General Electric - about their use of professionals.

They found most corporates struggle to find truly objective advisors who can help them resolve their critical problems.

Sheth and Sobels research reveals that most professionals are on a distinct journey with respect to their client relationships.

From Expert for Hire to Trusted Advisor

When it begins, a professional advisor is an expert for hire who offers information and expertise to clients on a transaction basis.

Further along, a professional may earn the right to be a steady supplier, and they'll be asked back repeatedly.

When they've reached the final and most rewarding stage, the professional becomes a trusted advisor who consistently develops collaborative relationships with clients and provides insight as well as expertise.

At this stage the professional advisor adds enormous value to the client, and become an irreplaceable resource.

Clients for Life describes how great professionals make this journey from expert for hire to trusted advisor. It sets out a client roadmap of the specific characteristics that underlie extraordinary performance with clients.

Great advisors, Sheth and Sobel argue maintain an attitude of complete financial, intellectual and emotional independence from their clients.

At the same time they display a remarkable empathy for their clients' feelings and concerns.

Clients for Life has all the ingredients of a business classic. The information is practical, full of insights, case studies and anecdotes. The stories on Aristotle, Thomas More, Macchiavello and J.P. Morgan make it an enthralling read.

Already, acclaimed by leading management thinkers, Clients for Life should be read and re-read by all professionals advisors - especially when you're tempted to cut corners, risk your reputation and slash your prices.

Available for purchase from Amazon.com