Clients for Life - by Andrew Sobel & Jagdish Sheth (Paperback)

About the Book

This "landmark, must-read book" (Tom Peters) shows professionals--from lawyers and sales executives to management and financial consultants--how to create broad-based, profitable, and lasting relationships with their clients.

Book Synopsis

Finally, the book that all professionals frustrated with fleeting client loyalty and relentless price pressure have waited for--the first in-depth, guide to developing lasting client relationships.

Millions of 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. Clients for Life sets forth a comprehensive framework for how professionals in all fields can develop breakthrough relationships with their clients and enjoy enduring client loyalty.

Supported by more than 100 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.

Readers will learn, for example, to develop selfless independence, which tempers complete emotional, intellectual, and financial independence with a powerful commitment to client needs; to become deep generalists and overcome the narrow perspective caused by specialization; to systematically build lifelong trust; and to cultivate the power of synthesis--big-picture thinking--that is so highly valued by clients.

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.

Review Quotes

USA Today Everything you ever wanted to know about being the perfect consultant is in Clients for Life...valuable for the most seasoned advisor, whether a lawyer, an accountant, or marketing professional.

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 and Rubicam, and contributes regularly to The Wall Street Journal and other publications. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.