As part of the "Market Assessment and Analysis" course, Professor Mark Burgess welcomed John Care, Managing Director and Chief Content Officer at Mastering Technical Sales, for an engaging and interactive session centered on trust, customer relationships, and the attributes of a Trusted Advisor. John brings extensive experience in technical sales, presales leadership, and professional development, making his insights especially valuable to students preparing for customer-facing and consulting-oriented roles.
These guest speaker sessions are an essential component of the Market Assessment course, providing students with an opportunity to learn directly from industry leaders and see how real-world decision making, customer insights, and strategic thinking complement the concepts taught in class.
John began by asking students, "What does trust really mean to you? And what is trust not?" John then led an interactive Mentimeter activity in which students anonymously shared their thoughts in real time. John provided guided questions for students, allowing them to share their ideas on what makes someone trustworthy or not. This exercise helped students understand how their personal perceptions of trust shape their professional interactions.
Here are a few key takeaways from his talk.
Shifting to the Customer Point of View
John emphasized that trust must also be understood from a customer's perspective, not only through one's personal lens. He presented data from a survey of mid- to senior-level executives at Fortune 500 companies on the skills they value most in a vendor's presales team.
The top five attributes included someone who:
- Understands the business of the company
- Can be trusted to do the right thing for the company
- Can clearly and effectively communicate with people
- Can design innovative solutions with the staff
- Has deep technical knowledge
John pointed out that nearly 85% of respondents emphasized transferable skills such as communication, adaptability, business understanding, and relationship-building, while deep technical knowledge, although important, ranked lowest among expectations. He referenced data from 11,000+ survey responses to illustrate the true value and impact of sales engineers in the industry.
How Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Trust?
John then explored how the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences trust in professional environments. He noted that AI cannot replace humanity, and that belief and trust still lie with engineers and people, not machines.
He stated, "AI is like an intern; it does the job really fast, but you still have to double-check it before you completely rely on it."
He explained that trust can be defined, measured, and quantified, as seen in global trust surveys that rank professions each year. Some of the most trusted professions include medical professionals, pilots, and first responders, while some of the least trusted include politicians, lawyers, and salespeople.
The Trust Equation (Be CRISP-y)
John introduced the Trust Equation, explaining how trust is built through a combination of behaviors and mindsets:
T = (C + R + I) / S × P
- Credibility: Demonstrate skills, knowledge, industry impact, and references.
- Reliability: Show consistency and dependability through the "do as you say" (DAYS) philosophy.
- Intimacy: Build rapport through empathy, transparency, and understanding motivations.
- Self-Orientation: Avoid "me first" behavior. Put the customer first, show genuine concern, stay attentive, and focus on their success.
- Positivity: Maintain an optimistic outlook and keep a positive demeanor in interactions.
John emphasized that by adjusting these parameters, anyone can build and strengthen trust in their professional relationships.
The session concluded with John gifting a signed copy of his book to a student who made a strong impact during the session.
Many thanks to John Care for delivering such a powerful and interactive talk to MBS students! For more information, you can visit the website Mastering Technical Sales.
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