One of the most valuable things an advisor can say isn’t “yes.”
It’s:
“That product doesn’t actually do what you think it does.”
Years ago I found myself explaining exactly that to a very senior executive who had been getting polite, ambiguous answers from vendors and consultants.
It didn’t help that this decision maker had a familial connection to a mind-bogglingly wealthy and powerful business celebrity.
Nobody wanted to disappoint the client.
Nobody wanted to lose a sale.
Nobody wanted to be “that guy.”
So everyone kept saying things like…
“Well…it could potentially…”
“With enough customization…”
“Let’s investigate…”
Ten minutes of blunt honesty saved hundreds of hours of meetings that never needed to happen.
That’s one of the advantages of being independent.
Sometimes the highest ROI isn’t building something.
It’s knowing when not to.