A Rainmaker is someone who makes it rain. In the American Indian tradition, the Rainmaker was highly- respected and able to bring much-needed rain that nourished the crops to feed everyone. So a Sales Rainmaker is someone who brings revenue to your business. Which is what many sales leaders are thinking about right now, with the new April financial year about to start.
ONE – What’s special about this month’s book?
With more pressure to sell more, and to do so more quickly, Leaders, Founders and Sales Reps needs all the help you can get to maintain and grow your sales revenue.
Another short book, written with 50 extremely pithy chapters, each with own gold nugget tip. And selected as one of the 100 best business books of all time.
Will you need all the tips? Maybe, maybe not. Pick and choose what you read from the chapter headings – each one is a fast read so you’ll quickly know what to take away and implement in your own business. The sales breakthrough your revenue generation needs could be one of these very insightful sales tips.
TWO – Book Details for How to Become a Rainmaker
Book Title – How to Become a Rainmaker – The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients
Author – Jeffrey J. Fox
Publication Date – 17 May 2000, updated in 2015
Publisher – Random House
THREE – Who is Jeffrey J. Fox?
Jeffrey J. Fox is a seasoned sales and market professional, who shares his insights with the world via his company Fox & Co, from Connecticut, USA.
Jeffrey J. Fox is known for Strategy Consulting, Training Programs and eleven best-selling business books that have been translated into over thirty languages – including:
- How to Become CEO
- How to Become a Great Boss
- The Dollarization Discipline
Four – What is the book’s premise?
That you can learn to make it rain sales into your business.
Fox makes it very clear in explanation about his Introduction exactly who this book is written for:
You Should Read This Book If Your Organization Needs Revenues – Pg 1
So – what is a Rainmaker?
A Rainmaker is a person who brings revenue into an organization, be it profit or not-for-profit. That revenue comes from customers and donors. That revenue is the aqua viva – the lifeblood – of the organization. Without it the organization will die.
Customers’ money is the rain. – Pg 1-2
Fox has one purpose – and that’s to help you make it rain sales into your business.
The job of every employee is to help ring the cash register. The job of every employee is to keep the customers coming, and to keep the customers coming back.
This book is a recipe for how to sell, for how to make it rain, be it drizzle or deluge, sprinkle or storm. If your organization needs revenues, and if you want to become invaluable to your organization, then read this book. – Pg 4
Five – Does the book deliver on its premise?
Yes. Short, pithy insights that anyone can implement into your business. Some of these insights may take discipline to see the fruits. That’s something you’ll have to apply for yourself.
Despite being written 20 years ago (there’s an updated edition from 2015 which incorporates new-fangled tech like email, texting, social media etc) – Fox’s sales tips are just as relevant as they were when he first wrote them.
Some may be even more relevant because they’re now unusual rather than an expected norm. There’s nothing like a point of difference to make your sales approach stand out!
Six – What is the author’s voice like?
Brief. To the point. No gloss. Just factual confident statements of how to make it rain sales into your business.
Seven – Any memorable quotes?
It’s always worth remembering to get the basics right. Stripped of all the sales comforts we’ve been used to, it’s time to get back to the heart of selling. Here are the two Magnify Memorable quotes:
Rainmakers don’t sell products; they sell the dollarized value the customer gets from the products. Rainmakers sell money. – Pg 24
AND
FISH WHERE THE BIG FISH ARE
The Rainmaker fishes where the big fish are. This means the Rainmaker calls on customers with large enough sales potential that, if closed, the resultant revenues will hit goal. – Pg 63
Eight – What are some insights I can get from reading this book?
Essentially, this is a book about how to conduct yourself as a Rainmaking Salesperson. Take special note of the six Killer Sales questions scattered throughout the chapters.
WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY CARE ABOUT
The only thing customers care about are themselves and their problem. You are in front of the customer only because the customer believes, if only a little bit, that you might be able to better his or her situation. – Pg 13
OBJECTIONS ARE GOLD
Rainmakers believe that objections are the way customers mask pleas for help and information. Rainmakers know that the sale cannot be made until every customer concern, no matter how trial it seems, is satisfactorily handled. – Pg 44
SPEED UP YOUR SALES CYCLE WITH ROI ANALYSIS
Showing the customer what it costs per month, week, or day to go without the solution shortens the sales cycle.
The investment return analysis helps your customer sell your solution inside his organization. There are usually eight to twelve hidden decision makers who need to say yes…Your customer contact will use the investment return analysis to convince his or her colleagues. – Pg 76-77
YOUR SLIDE DECK IS NOT ENOUGH – YOU NEED TO SELL
To some salespeople, a well-produced presentation is a crutch; to a Rainmaker, it is a tool. Some salespeople present and hope the customer decides to say yes. The Rainmaker presents and helps the customer to decide. – Pg 92
NEGOTIATING – GIVE AND GET
- If you give a sample, get an agreement to test.
- If you give a product demonstration, first get an agreement to buy if the demo proves the product works as claimed.
- If you give a brochure, get an appointment.
- If you give a discount, get more volume – Pg 100
Nine – How relevant is this book right now?
Extremely helpful for sales tips that will give you the edge. This book won’t completely teach you how to sell. Fox delivers helpful insights gleaned from years of successful selling, that could potentially be the piece of the puzzle you’re missing.
With such brief, to-the-point writing, busy salespeople are now exempt from the excuse that they can’t put aside time for sales training and development.
Ten – Did the book live up to expectations?
Yes. You can tell from the first flick through that this book is going to contain interesting sales tips. Approach it as this, and you’ll be very happy you read it.
Eleven – Who would you recommend this book to?
Everyone encountering roadblocks in your sales, no matter how many years of sales experience you’ve had. True sales and business development skills are now needed more than ever to help those hesitant buyers with increased sales cycles progress to the next step.
Twelve – Who should buy this book?
Salespeople should especially buy this book, to help give you the edge in a tough market. Also, anyone else directly responsible for bringing Rain – aka Sales Revenue – into your business.
Thirteen – Where can I buy this book?
Order from Mighty Ape here.
Fourteen – Recommended snacks to accompany reading this book?
This book is such a quick read, you won’t need many snacks to keep your energy up! It’s Easter later this week. Hunker down with a couple of Hot Cross Buns heated in the oven and then bathed in fresh butter. Bake the Hot Cross Buns yourself or try the Whittakers Chocolate Hot Cross Buns from Nada’s Bakery Basket. Add a bottle of Lewis Road Creamery chocolate milk to wash it all down.
Head over to the Magnify Sales Book Club to enter this month’s Sales Book of the Month draw.
‘Like’ the Magnify Consulting Facebook page for an extra entry.