How To Become A Rainmaker

With change running rampant in the new economy of 2009, I realized that I needed to hone and brush up on my selling skills.

I checked out a copy from my local library. It is a quick read and gives you many actionable tips that you can put to immediate use.

Rainmaking is a mindset, away from focusing on your sale, to delivering value to your customer.

I particularly liked his tactics of dollarizing the value and selling money instead of a product or service. I plan to implement this tactic in my ongoing promotions.

The book is a little thin at points, but it does not aim to be the end all and be all of sales training.

If you are looking for some key insights and tactics that you can implement quickly, it is a very worthwhile read.

Recommended!

A student recently lent me HOW TO BECOME A RAINMAKER
by Jeffrey J. Fox and suggested that I might like it . . . was he ever right! . . . this was one of the best business books I have read in a long time.
The idea behind the book lies in the American Indian tradition of employing a Rainmaker to use magical powers to nourish the crops to feed the people . . . updating this, a Rainmaker today is a person who brings revenue into an organization (be it profit or not-for-profit).
Even though this premise might sound so basic, it is amazing
how many companies tend to forget it . . . Fox says you
mustn't, and he presents a series of simple-to-follow principles
that can be applied to a wide variety of situations.
There were many memorable passages, but so as to not
overwhelm you with all of them, I'll just present the his series of six "killer" sales questions:
1. When you have the customer on the phone, suggest a meeting
and then ask, "Do you have your appointment calendar handy?"
2. The Rainmaker asks the customer, "Will you look at the facts
and decide for yourself if they make sense?"
3. [when a competitor is mentioned] You answer exactly as
follows: "Yes, that is a good company. Would you like to know
our points of difference?"
4. When a customer asks for a product demonstration, the
Rainmaker responds as follows: "We would be happy to give
you a demonstration. If the demo is successful, is there
anything else prohibiting you from going ahead?"
5. To close the sale, to get the final customer commitment, the
Rainmaker might say: "You've looked at everything. Your concerns
have been answered. Time is of the essence. You've heard our
recommendation. Why don't you give it a try?"
6. [always conclude an interview with a customer by asking
one killer sales question] The killer sales question is: "What
question should I be asking that I am not asking." Variants
or follow-up questions, are: "Is there anything I have missed?"
"Have I covered everything?" "Have I asked about every
details that is important to you?"

by Dan Moreland
Jeffrey Fox has brilliantly cashed in on America's Quick-Fix-to-Get-Rich Culture, authoring the short and to the point "How to Become CEO". This follow-up is another guaranteed moneymaker. Unlike the endless array of Byzantine and boring sales manuals on the market, "Rainmaker" is short and to the point. No charts, no high fallutin' theories, and it can be read in about 90 minutes or so. Or, if you suffer from A.D.D., you'll be pleased to find that most chapters can be ripped through in 5 minutes or less!
But on to the $64,000 question- will the book turn you into a "Rainmaker", the mystical term for superstar sales professional? The answer is, well, just like every other sales book promising the keys to the kingdom of money and success, not really. As usual, in sales, there is no substitute for prospecting, listening and getting the customer what they need.
Not that the book is not a useful guide, and not that I would not recommend it to any new salesman or slumping sales pro. Again, in Fox's easy to read prose, the chapter title basically gives you the piece of advice. Examples include "Customers Don't Care about You", or "Never Wear a Pen in Your Shirt Pocket".
While the book can be criticized as a bit simplistic, Fox does offer some refreshing common sense. Fox stands out amongst all the "gurus" out there trying to rewrite the laws of selling. They torture us with their 300 page borefests. And 90% of them are either Ivy League MBAs or con artists who never even sold lemonade at a corner stand.
If you are like me and have an attention span of 30 seconds or less, but still want to pick up some sales advice, I'd recommend this book. Also check out titles by Joe Girard, Frank Bettger and Byrd Baggett.

Jeffrey J. Fox brought wit and common sense to his simply written, How to Become CEO. His similarly popular How to Become a Rainmaker is written in the same enjoyable style, but the book disappoints in the end, lacking the practical insights of the former title. It's easy to understand the appeal that's placed this book on the best-seller lists. It's a quick and painless read that touches on all the basic rules of sales and does provide some intriguing conversational techniques to apply to your own pitch. But Fox's plain prose can do little to mask the fact that his sales advice is so basic that even inexperienced sellers will already know many of these things intuitively. Nevertheless, it won't hurt - and it definitely won't take much time - to breeze through this book as a refresher course in salesmanship basics, and we [...] would even extend a recommendation to entry-level salespeople to spend an evening with this pleasant but obvious book.

Working on financing projects for millions of dollars or hundreds of millions is made easier by simply applying the principals of this book. If you read it quickly (which is made easier by it's brevity) and apply the insightful ideas and thoughts - you'll see a marked difference. This book and the series in general are excellent.

They have provided countless reads on airtrips and vacations! I can't say enough about sitting on the beach in Galveston with the gulf washing my feet and reading any of the books in this series.

The, "Killer Sales Questions," in this book are worthy of flash cards. I can tell you that all of our colleagues have been encouraged to read these books. In many cases, a set of them is given to each new team member as a gift from the office.

This book gives detailed guidance on how to sell. Not a fuzzy, rah-rah guide, like many are, but with pointed and specific directions. It emphasizes hard work, preparation, application and discipline as keys to being successful, a Rainmaker. Some of the do's and don'ts border minutia but the author conveys the directness of purpose every sales person should maintain. It focuses on industrial sales environments where return on investment and cost vs. value are measurable. It's an easy read and should be read by every sale person who wants to get ahead. Even if you don't obey all the rules, you can pick up useful tools.

Read this book if you are a salesperson or desire to succeed

in private entrepreneurialship. The first and most important

rule is to give the customer what he/she wants. The authors

encourage readers to treat customers as we would want to

be treated- sort of a golden rule applied to sales. It is

important to discuss a specific appointment time and date in order to gain access. Salespeople should be attentive to

potential "buy signals". Lastly, "fish where the fish go".

The authors stress that successful sales require that we

socialize with the people who will be making the purchases.

The book is a good value for the price charged.

The vocabulary is simple, like you were explaining something to your dog. The book has the feeling of a Boy Scout Manual. As it turns out, a Rainmaker is a lot like a Boy Scout; helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Having read this book, you get the feeling you have been to the mountain top, talked to the big guy, got the big ten, and you are ready to make a sell. A great read for morale building.

Ah, if you can't finish reading this book in an hour, it was written for you.

This short, easy read is a quick refresher course of the basic principals of selling. Mr. Fox breaks down the rainmaking, or sales execution, process into a number of sequential `Killer Questions' designed to turn your sales target into a frienly decision maker.
As a former salesperson, I did find a number of the killer questions to be natural and direct, not pushy or canned. Mr. Fox also goes beyond simple client `probing' and hammers at the importance of a hard days work, getting the appointment and pampering your clients once you have sold them.
I believe one should buy How to Become a Rainmaker. It is a quick read that offers enough unique material to help even the most seasoned salesperson. Will you become a rainmaker if you read this book? Nope...like every other rule in business, the rain will fall if you APPLY Mr. Fox's ideas.

While some reviewers complain that this book relies too heavily on common sense, my response is that sales people ignore common sense all too often, and need reminders like this one. True, the book does not resemble a textbook, but it is not supposed to.

Every day, I work full time at selling my products and services. I gained a few fresh ideas by reading How to Become a Rainmaker. For me, that makes the book worthwhile.

Not the greatest book ever, I agree--but Fox offers worthwhile tips that are practical and productive.

Thank you Jeffery Fox for writing a short concise work that sales professionals can use as a reality check to focus their attention on the selling process. Rainmaker is something you can refer to for brief reminders about what you should be doing during the selling process. The book is also available as an unabridged audio book. It is a great tool for sales professionals who want to hone their craft. If you only buy the book for "The Rainmakers Credo" and "the Customer Does Not Care About You" you will have gotten value. This is not a 300-page in depth how to sell book. If your looking for that try Jeffrey Gitomer's "Sales Bible".

OK, this is not the most earth shattering advice you will find but it addresses how to make a difference in your technique from multiple angles. There are many topics covered in two to four pages, each. These are simple concepts that require little explanation but bear remembering as they impact your ability to close.

There is no psychology here; a quality read that every customer facing person should keep on the shelf as a regular reference when they need an energy boost and need to refocus their efforts to be more effective.

Jeffrey J. Fox defines a rainmaker as "a person who brings revenue to an organization, be it for profit or not-for-profit." He says, "Customers' money is the rain." The book consists of chapters containing 2-3 pages each, with each chapter focusing on one aspect of becoming a rainmaker. Each chapter guides the reader in getting the customer and keeping the customer. While many of the concepts will be review for many readers, Fox does emphasize the concept of dollarization and offers examples of the idea. He asks the reader to think of what he or she is selling. He answers the question by claiming, "Rainmakers sell money." How he or she does this is through demonstrating to the customer the value of the product (hence selling money) through dollarization. Fox also offers six "killer questions" throughout the book. How to Become a Rainmaker can be read in one evening. Fox suggests after reading the book to open it to a random page and do what the chapter tells you to do. This way it becomes a handbook for future reference.

Being from a technical background and finding myself forced into a sales role, I found this book very helpful in giving insight to the sales process and the paradigm needed in order to achieve successful sales.
The book is short and straightforward, and is simply a a collection of common sense ideas. Though the concepts Fox covers are simple, I believe they are some of the more elementary concepts which non-salespeople would either overlook or not even realize.
If you're a green salesman or an experienced once, just wanting a refresher, I believe this is the book for you. It may not cover all the facets of sales, but will give you a decent overview.

Consistent application of Mr. Fox's principles will make you a rainmaker - salesperson or not. Customers are hungry for proper treatment and this book reminds us of what we already should know! This book offers a quick tune-up or diagnosis session of what might be wrong at your company. Do your clients a favor - buy this book for your staff!

I must disagree with the two previous customer reviews. The reason why I bought this book in the first place, was because of the short and to-the-point suggestions. This book is not #10 in the Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Group(one of the top firms in the world) because of its length, but because of its stellar advice. Many of the tips may seem logical, but rarely are practiced. Believe me, I meet with all kinds of salespeople on a daily basis and all of Fox's tips are often ignored, thus killing a sale. If you want your client base to grow, read this book and use Mr. Fox's advice!

Based on the oft forgotten perspective of the customer, Jeffrey Fox wastes no words on how to increase your effectiveness and how to deliver world class value to your customers! Perfect for every sales professional no matter how long they've been in sales. The tapes remain in my car and I listen to them on the way to appointments so I can get a quick refresher. In the first listening, I focused on the Killer Sales Questions. I used two of them in an account call the next day and had great results when the customer responded positively! Wow!

Sales people, like athletes need to practice, get back to basics. Jeff Fox's book is a good way to get some "spring practice" in. A quick, enjoyable read, this will help you re-focus on what's important in your sales/business development activities. Read it, work it, expand upon it.

This book lived up to exactly what is was designed to do. A short, consise list of rules that give the reader tips for keeping customers and clients.
Some of the rules are common sense but others are not. Overall I found this book an interesting read and mostly helpful.

This is not a book for seasoned sales veterans. I would recommend it to people just getting started in sales. For them it offers good practical advice on how to think, act and work with clients.
If you are a sales pro and need a pick-me-up, then give it a try, otherwise you'll be disappointed.

"Ask your customer questions."

"Don't keep a pen in your shirt pocket, it may leak."

"Don't drink coffee at a sales meeting, you might spill it."

If these seem like brilliant, grounbreaking revelations that will help you increase your sales, then this book is for you. Otherwise, you may want to look somewhere else. There is nothing new (or even interesting) here.

informative, yet concise, this book is an easily digestible source to improving your sales skills in practically anything to achieve that success which is so desirable. i've used some of these (with integrity) and they are very effective. also a good reference tool and meant to use repeatedly, not just a one time read.

Pros: Very non-obvious sales tips!
Cons: The tips themselves are grievously wrong, and will make you look like an intellectually and emotionally stunted child if you attempt to put them into practice. Stay far, far away from this hot garbage. Author should be ashamed of putting such terrible and destructive advice out into the world.

Save your money. "Rainmaker" reads more like the "100 Best Ways to Lose Weight" pamphlet for sale in the grocery-store check-out line. Sure, Fox captured all the basics of rainmaking. But the elegant packaging is worth far more than the content. The book designers get 5 stars; the content is probably on the web for the price of a few minutes of searching.

The book is fairly well written, and very comprehensible. The book details a vast array of strong ideas of how to generate and maintain business. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going into a career in sales.

Grabbed the old stuffs and merged them into a book. It was just a salad dish, not a melting pot. The segregation fully reflected Mr. Fox's inadequacies in sales. Anyway, broken pieces were broken pieces. Good needle-works could hardly conceal.
Using the words "Killer sales question" also disclosed Mr. Fox's real attitude towards customers. A sincere salesperson will not kill her/his customers with any probing question. Sales pro does mind the wordings and will choose them carefully.
Just another bogus guru.

Awesome. Simple. Lists to follow. Used just 3 of the 10 items that are suggested daily and had results. I logged on to the store to order 6 copies for clients/friends.. and found it was not available...

Grabbed the old stuffs and merged them into a book. It was just a salad dish, not a melting pot. The segregation fully reflected Mr. Fox's inadequacies in sales. Anyway, broken pieces were broken pieces. Good needle-works could hardly conceal.
Using the words "Killer sales question" also disclosed Mr. Fox's real attitude towards customers. A sincere salesperson will not kill her/his customers with any probing question. Sales pro does mind the wordings and will choose them carefully.
Just another bogus guru.