Kees van Meeuwen

I believe that if people dare to be vulnerable chances will arise – both in your private life and your business environment.

So when I first heard about The Trusted Advisor I was immediately impressed and inspired. I am proud to deliver workshops for Trusted Advisor Associates in Europe.

My focus is on trust based selling. Many professionals do what they do because they love the area they work in; many of them are subject matter experts. Most of them did not choose their job for the thrill of seeking commercial targets; and yet obtaining new clients and developing existing clients is a critical part of their job.

I love to help these professionals. Not by turning them into “commercial salespeople”, but by letting them do what they are best at, and showing how that can increase trust, and mutually beneficial commercial relationships. It amounts to helping the customers/ prospects in the way which is best for them, the customer.

In the Netherlands I am founding partner of The Agri Sales Academy. We build international sales academies for corporates in the agricultural sector.

I am a certified coach, I received a degree at the MMS Institute LLC and I have a RET coaching degree.

I have my degree in law in the Netherlands from the Utrecht University.

My Trust Story

I, along with my business partner, was in a first meeting with the CCO of a corporate in the agricultural business. He was an intelligent man with inspiring ideas.

It was a good meeting; we had a connection, he valued our sector expertise and there were many opportunities.

The CCO had an ambitious plan; he had built a team with young high potentials and asked them to develop the new strategy. He was looking for somebody who could facilitate this team. Could we do this?

My internal dialogue went something like this:

“Our expertise is sales, not strategy.”

“Then again, while we may not be the best fit for him, we get along well, I would love to do business with him, it is a big name and the turnover will be good.”

“Yes, it is strategy, but it’s also facilitation and we are good at that.”

“Okay, I’ll bluff – tell him that we can do it and figure out just how later”

At that moment my partner spoke up, saying: “Thanks for your offer, but strategy is not our area of expertise. We do know somebody who is an expert – may we introduce her to you?

I was happy, because she was right. We introduced the strategy expert – she did a great job, and the CCO was happy.

My key takeaways: always put your client first, by doing what is in his best interest and not in yours. And think long term. Because sometimes this happens:  a year later he called us again – and now we help him doing what we are good at.

My Services

As a licensee I lead our Trust Based Selling Program. I coach participants and help them overcome their irrational (but totally human and common)  beliefs which may stand in the way of applying the principles to their real world situations.