Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert-for-Hire to an Extraordinary Adviser [Paperback]

Jagdish N. Sheth (Author), Andrew Sobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2002

An Innovative Blueprint for Enduring Client Relationships

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tom Peters Hooray! The "professional services" are of surpassing importance in today's knowledge-based economy. They have long been a black hole in terms of research and writing. In one fell swoop, master business strategists Jagdish Sheth and Andrew Sobel change that. Clients for Life is a landmark book. All 'white collar professionals' can learn from it. Dare I say it, this book is a "must-read."

George M. C. Fisher Chairman, Eastman Kodak Company Clients for Life is a true masterpiece of insight into the underlying principles and values that enable professionals to establish and maintain working relationships that truly add value.

Warren Bennis Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, USC, and author of Organizing Genius and Co-Leaders The subtle art of giving advice and counsel, and of maintaining a vibrant professional relationship with clients, has never been written about so wisely and with such significance since Machiavelli's advice to the Prince.

Robert W. Galvin Chairman of the Executive Committee, Motorola Directly, Sheth and Sobel teach the values that optimize advisee-adviser impact on an institution's results. But indirectly, and maybe more important, they uniquely stimulate our leader/manager dedication to such priceless principles as trusting, listening, and synthesis, which develop and sustain every worthy relationship.

Regis McKenna Chairman, The McKenna Group, and author of Real Time and Relationship Marketing Sheth and Sobel lift us out of our present one-to-one transactional thinking about professional-client relationships and into the transcendent and lasting values of relationships based on knowledge, integrity, insight, and wisdom. It is a powerful approach of substance for all professionals.

Stan Davis author of Future Wealth and Blur Two consummate service professionals at the peak of their brilliant careers share their secrets for success. An invaluable guide for mastering the art of giving counsel to others. It's fascinating reading.

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (March 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684870304
• ISBN-13: 978-0684870304
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Consulting
  • #99 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Questions & Answers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock-solid advice, March 27, 2002

By 

Andrew Sobel (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert-for-Hire to an Extraordinary Adviser (Paperback)

Don Mitchell's review is first-rate. I agree completely with his reasons for praising this book, and, I agree completely with his (and Drucker's) comments about so-called "lifelong relationships." If you are looking for some rock-solid advice to achieve "breakthrough" relationships with clients, Sheth and Sobel provide it. But as Mitchell and Drucker correctly point out, it is possible but highly unlikely that those relationships can be sustained indefinitely, especially now when change is the only constant and occurs at ever-increasing velocity. Give careful thought to the word "breakthrough" because it has so many relevancies to today's competitive marketplace. When in pursuit of a prospective client, first you have to break through clutter to become visible; then you have to break through other clutter to differentiate yourself from the competition; then overcome other clutter to begin the new relationship; finally, you have to break through still more clutter to sustain that relationship. (Think about juggling handgrenades in a minefield at 2 AM...during an electrical storm...while wearing a blindfold.) Sheth and Sobel offer a wealth of information as well as sound guidance. Much of what they share can also help with the formulation of customer recapture strategies. But take no one and nothing for granted. The "life" of a customer relationship should not be measured in terms of years; rather, in terms of how effectively you nourish that relationship while you have it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable guidance on an important topic, May 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert-for-Hire to an Extraordinary Adviser (Paperback)

I am responsible for managing large corporate accounts, and this book has dramatically changed my perspectives in terms of how I view my role with clients.In Clients for Life, the authors have succeeded brilliantly at a difficult task: defining the essence of long-term, value-added relationships and the characteristics of professionals who succeed in developing them. This is by far the best and most sophisticated book I have read on the subject of client relationships. It is genuinely insightful, beautifully written, and full of entertaining, relevant anecdotes about working with and advising clients. Sheth and Sobel organize the book around the key attributes of professionals who are able to become great advisors to their clients and develop lifetime relationships with them. They describe these qualities with depth and freshness, and their model rings true. Many people talk about "big picture thinking," for example, or "integrity," but the authors actually define these things in a meaningful way and clearly demonstrate how you can improve yourself. Each chapter profiles a famous historical advisor who was especially skilled at dealing with clients. Much of what I have read on client relationship management has tended to be either simplistic and focused on "techniques" or else overly academic. Clients for Life, in contrast, is a breezy read yet very rich and thoughtful in its approach-it'll make you think hard about your own personal and professional development. I highly recommend this book to anyone who manages clients (corporations or individuals, for that matter) or large customer relationships.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for any consultant., May 3, 2005

By 

J. David Evans (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert-for-Hire to an Extraordinary Adviser (Paperback)

As a consultant, this book helped me focus on behaviors aimed at building a long-term practice rather than simply going from success-to-success. I say this not to toot my own horn (yes, I've had failures too) but rather because most decent consultants actually do OK--clients are generally happy. We appear to succeed on a regular basis. The great consultants, however, are the ones who build vocal followings...and that's where the value of this work rests.