When Customers Refuse Good Advice

You’ve heard, it’s better to give than receive. It’s been my experience that when it comes to advice, most people are indeed more willing to give than receive.

When advising customers, coworkers, or even family members, the challenge is generally people don’t like to be told what to do. Advice may come across as controlling or condescending.

That’s why in my Trusted Advisor seminars, I encourage participants to use what I call the humility advantage?.

It’s about guiding customers while demonstrating your respect for their intelligence. Often it’s just a matter of changing a few words. Consider how you might respond when someone tells you:

You should… vs You might…

I recommend… vs I suggest…

You need to… vs What if…

Ironically, the alternative phrases - being less forceful, create less resistance and have more impact. Being a trusted advisor is less about telling, and more about inviting.