What defines a Trusted Advisor in the Telecomms & Technology Sector

The telecomms and hi tech sector is experiencing unprecedented amounts of change. Nothing new there, but there is a growing awareness that simply being able to sell and then implement ‘commodities’ is no longer sufficient to guarantee future success. Internal and external customers have moved on. They are no longer solely interested in functionality, and how it will tie into existing systems they want to know what business benefits and ‘value’ it will produce.

Value can be calculated through ROI measures, but it is also has a subjective, emotional component ~ ask any Mac user... The challenge facing sales people is to move from the safety of selling a product to procurement to engaging C level individuals with different agendas, and translating the value proposition in order to achieve the status of a ‘Trusted Advisor’. The challenge facing technical programme/ project managers is that project management methodology, and delivery to time, cost and quality are almost seen as a given. What defines a superior individual is the extra qualities that they bring to the business relationship.

This mythical beast is hard to capture and define. To be able to bottle it is the holy grail of an entire sales and project management industry. However, as yet few people can articulate what it means to be a ‘trusted advisor’ beyond the usual platitudes about integrity, genuine interest in the customer/ end user etc...

Our goal is to cut through this vagueness and identify precisely

• The behaviours, attitudes, motivators and values that define what it means to be a Trusted Advisor in this sector
• How organisations in this sector are currently developing people towards this goal
• is there a more cost effective way of achieving this?
• what ROI can be measured and achieved

So what are we doing about it?

We are embarking on a piece of original research in Q3 & Q4 2010 focusing on the telecommunications and hi tech sectors focusing on a number of business critical roles to determine what does good look like for individuals tasked with revenue generation (Sales teams and Sales Leaders) and efficient delivery of value (Programme and Project Managers). Our goal is to produce an original piece of thought leadership and share it with the participants as a report and also at a facilitated event at Leander rowing club in Henley on Thames in Q4.

Complete the form below to register your details and to sign up