Rainmaking Conversations

About the Author

Mike Schultz is the co-president of RAIN Group, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a world-renowned consultant and expert in sales training, Schultz has dedicated his career to helping businesses increase their sales effectiveness. He is the publisher of RAIN Today, one of the world's largest online magazines and membership sites for sales and marketing. Schultz is also the co-author of Professional Services Marketing.

John E. Doerr is also co-president of RAIN Group. With a career spanning senior executive management, business development, marketing, and product and service development, Doerr brings extensive experience to the table. He consults, speaks, writes, and teaches on selling and sales performance, and is co-author of Professional Services Marketing.

Main Idea

Rainmaking Conversations by Mike Schultz and John E. Doerr provides a comprehensive system for leading effective sales conversations that result in increased revenue. The book is grounded in the RAIN acronym, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. This approach helps sales professionals ask the right questions, understand customer needs, and communicate value effectively. The book also emphasizes the importance of setting and achieving goals, understanding and articulating value propositions, and continuously improving sales techniques.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Ready to Make Rain
2. Rain Selling Key Concepts
3. Maximizing Your Rain Selling Success

Getting Ready to Make Rain

Introduction to RAIN

RAIN stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. These core concepts are essential for mastering sales conversations. Additionally, RAIN encompasses Advocacy and Inquiry, highlighting the balance between presenting solutions and asking questions. The "IN" in RAIN stands for Influence, reminding salespeople to maximize their impact in every interaction.

Ten Rainmaker Principles

The authors identify ten principles that top rainmakers share:

• Play to Win-Win: Rainmakers strive to satisfy the best interests of both prospects and clients, exhibiting passion and dedication to becoming top performers.
• Live by Goals: Goals are an integral part of a rainmaker's daily routine.
• Take Action: Rainmakers are proactive and committed to taking the necessary steps to achieve their goals.
• Think Buying First, Selling Second: Rainmakers align their selling processes with the buying psychology of their prospects.
• Be a Fluent Expert: Rainmakers have sufficient knowledge to effectively sell, even if they are not technical experts.
• Create New Conversations Every Day: Rainmakers continuously feed their pipelines with new prospects.
• Lead Masterful Rainmaking Conversations: Rainmakers guide sales conversations from prospecting to closing and account management.
• Set the Agenda; Be a Change Agent: Rainmakers recommend, advise, and assist, acting as change agents for their clients.
• Be Brave: Rainmakers face challenges head-on, seeking fruitful sales opportunities.
• Assess Yourself, Get Feedback, and Improve Continuously: Rainmakers constantly seek to learn and improve.

The Most Important Conversation You'll Ever Have

The journey to becoming a rainmaker starts with self-assessment. The authors suggest asking yourself six key questions: