Salesperson: a trusted advisor or a decision-making coach?

There are different approaches to the role of a salesperson vis-a-vis their customers. Some claim that a salesperson should be the customer’s trusted advisor, helping solve their problem.

Meanwhile, another approach claims that the salesperson’s role is more of a decision-making coach who asks questions to understand the customer’s real needs better.

Let’s first look at the definitions to clarify the difference between an advisor and a coach.

An advisor is a person who has specific expertise, experience, or connections that can help you in a very particular way. In advising, the focus is often on a specific need and ensuring the customer has a plan for meeting that need. Sometimes that plan is co-created with the customer using a developmental advising approach. An advisor also directs customers toward resources or recommends specific next steps using a more traditional or directive advising approach.

Whereas a coach is a person who works to help improve performance, unlock potential, establish, and meet goals, understand, and resolve challenges, and focus on growth. The coach does not necessarily have all the answers a client might seek, and the coach doesn’t do the work on their behalf. An effective coach brings an outside-in and unemotional perspective, offering insight, accountability, and support.

In a very general sense, what distinguishes coaching from advising is that coaching is a co-creative process to determine what success looks like for each individual and takes a proactive approach to both short and long-term success.

Let’s take an example…Imagine that you need to renew your washing machine and go to an electronics store. You meet the salesperson and tell him you are looking for a new washer. A trusted advisor type of salesperson would provide you with all the necessary details about different brands, their comparative features, and their prices. If you ask their advice, they will give you some…best products for the price/quality ratio, the best entry range product, and one at the high-end product if you have the budget. 

A decision coach type of salesperson would first ask questions about your current washer. They would want to understand what makes you want to change your old washer. What do you like and what do you not like about it? They would also ask questions about using the washer…if you have kids, if you wear a business shirt daily, etc. When you ask questions, their answers are likely to start with “it depends” and continue with “if you…” Because for them, there is no one correct answer. And if they realize that there is no answer for your particular need, they will make you know that and will not push forward. In the end, they will not tell or recommend you what to buy, and they will work to help you to realize what you need to buy. And they leave the decision to you.

When you buy from a trusted advisor and are happy with your decision, you would tell yourself that you followed the advice and are satisfied with it. When you buy from a decision-making coach, you would tell yourself that you made the best decision for your needs.   

When you buy from a decision-making coach type of salesperson, you have full accountability for your decision. You have nobody else to blame if you make the wrong buying decision. In the other case, you can always blame the trusted advisor type of salesperson for directing you towards the wrong decision.

In summary, we might need a trusted advisor type of salesperson, particularly when we do not have time to buy relatively less critical things for quick and low-importance buying decisions. For all important buying decisions, I prefer to have a decision-making coach type of salesperson because I want full accountability for my decision. That would also make me less exposed to any salesperson manipulation.