1: “If you’re like most sales professionals, you think a successful client relationship is one in which everyone is always smiling,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their powerful book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

You intuitively believe your job is to keep clients happy, as if being well-liked is the goal.

You send birthday wishes. You inquire about their kids. You do whatever it takes to … continue reading

1: The competition isn’t always the competition.

The real competition is often the status quo. Or, doing nothing.

“When you’re facing any kind of decision that’s a bit complex, you’ll put off making that decision until you’re sure which choice is the best,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their powerful book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

“Unsure about where they should invest their money, time, and … continue reading

1: Did you know that Babe Ruth began his baseball career in 1914 using a 54-ounce bat?

“That’s a big bat,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their powerful book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

“For those of you who are not familiar with what’s ‘normal’ for baseball bats,” the authors note, “most professional baseball players today use a bat that weighs between 31 and 35 ounces.”… continue reading

1: “We had lost our bearings. We were wandering in the valley of death,” Andy Grove writes in his book Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company.

The year was 1984, a pivotal moment for Intel.

The company had been founded 16 years earlier.  “Every start-up has some kind of a core idea,” Andy notes.

“Ours was simple. Semiconductor technology had … continue reading

1: “Screw them. We could run a better convenience store than these folks!”

Twenty-one-year-old college student Ron Shaich was mad.  He and his friends had been “escorted” out of the Store 24 convenience store directly across from Clark University, which they attended.

The “beefy security guard . . . had taken one look at the trio of scruffy kids lingering over the ice-cream freezer and decided we were intent on … continue reading

1: Advertising legend David Ogilvy was a maverick.

“Unlike the typical, predictable, and egotistical advertising that most agencies produce to promote themselves, David ‘gave’ his genius away,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

David didn’t beat his chest and proclaim the greatness of his firm Ogilvy and Mather.

“Instead of writing about himself,” Jeffrey notes, he “gave … continue reading

1: Listen.  Listen.  Listen.

1: “Always Be on ‘High Receive,'” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

What do Rainmakers think about?  What is their singular focus?

The customer. 

What is our job as Rainmakers?

To listen to our customer.  We “must accurately hear what they are saying and not saying.  We must be acutely aware of all … continue reading

1: “Customers buy for only two reasons,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

“To feel good or to solve a problem,” he notes.

“Going out to dinner, buying scuba equipment, or getting a new puppy fall into the ‘feel good’ category,” Jeffrey observes.

Businesses typically purchase to solve a problem.  And the solution can always be expressed … continue reading

1: “Revenue is the aqua viva—the lifeblood—of the organization.  Without it the organization will die,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

What is a Rainmaker?

Simply put, The Rainmaker is a “person who brings revenue into an organization, be it profit or not-for-profit.  That revenue comes from customers and donors.”

2: Why do we call these people … continue reading

1: Rainmakers know that asking questions is one of the most effective sales tools.

Why?  Because “customers love questions,” Jeffrey Fox writes in How to Become a Rainmaker.

“Customers love to talk,” Jeffrey observes.  “Customers feel more secure with the salesperson who asks questions, listens, and takes notes.” 

Jeffrey’s recommendation?  “To the concerned customer with a need, there is no such thing as a dumb question.  So, dare to … continue reading