Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation [Hardcover]

Mike Schultz (Author), John E. Doerr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2011

Conversations make or break everything in sales. Every conversation you have is an opportunity to find new prospects, win new customers, and increase sales. Rainmaking Conversations provides a proven system for leading masterful conversations that fill the pipeline, secure new deals, and maximize the potential of your account.

Rainmaking Conversations offers a research-based, field-tested, and practical selling approach that will help you master the art of the sales conversation. This proven system revolves around the acronym RAIN, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. You'll learn how to ask your prospects and clients the right questions, and help them set the agenda for success.

Armed with the knowledge of the markets you serve, the common needs of prospects, and how your products and services can help, you can become a trusted advisor to your clients during and after the sale. With the RAIN system, you'll be able to:

• Build rapport and trust from the first contact
• Create conversations with prospects, referral sources, and clients using the telephone, email, and mail
• Uncover the real need behind client challenges
• Make the case for improved business impact and return on investment (ROI) for your prospects
• Understand and communicate your value proposition
• Apply the 16 principles of influence in sales
• Overcome and prevent all types of objections, including money
• Craft profitable solutions and close the deal

The world-class RAIN Selling^SM methodology has helped tens of thousands of people lead powerful sales conversations and achieve breakthrough sales performance. Start bridging the gap between "hello" and profitable relationships today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There are lots of books on selling, but few as free of fluff as Rainmaking Conversations." ---Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Inside Flap

"There are too many books on selling, but once in a while one comes along with a fresh approach. This one is worth reading even by the seasoned professional."
—Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

"I love this book. Why? Because Rainmaking Conversations isn't yet another collection of empty tips-and-tricks calories that provides no real nourishment to your career. This is the real thing."
—Dave Stein, CEO & Founder, ES Research Group, Inc.

"There are lots of books on selling, but few as free of fluff as Rainmaking Conversations. Highly recommended."
—Michael Port, NY Times Best-Selling Author, Book Yourself Solid

"Nothing happens without sales…and Mike Schultz and John Doerr have effectively provided us all with the book on sales that will make things happen! Rainmaking Conversations is a must read!"
—Leonard A. Schlesinger, President, Babson College

"Those who can't make rain think it's about luck and personality. Real rainmakers know that it's about hard work, preparation, and proven methods. Except for the hard work, everything you need is in this book."
—Thomas H. Davenport, Author, Competing on Analytics

"Kudos to Schultz and Doerr on this compelling read. Let it RAIN!"
—David Lissy, CEO, Bright Horizons Family Solutions

"Today's crazy-busy prospects won't waste their time with you unless they get value from every interaction. In Rainmaking Conversations, you'll learn how to make that a reality."
—Jill Konrath, Author, SNAP Selling, and Selling to Big Companies

"In this book—chock full of compelling stories and winning techniques—Mike Schultz and John Doerr show you how to master the art of rainmaking."
—David Meerman Scott, Bestselling Author, The New Rules of Marketing & PR

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470922230
• ISBN-13: 978-0470922231
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of Gems April 19, 2011

By Michael McLaughlin

Format:Hardcover

Mike Schultz and John Doerr just published their second book, Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation. The book joins the growing list of sales books on the market, but there's something different about this one.

Focus on Conversations

The central idea of the book is that the decisions customers make about buying are driven by the quality of the conversations they have with sellers. Most sellers understand this idea, but Schultz and Doerr shine a new light on the subject by showing how everything we do prepares us (or doesn't) for the all-important sales conversation. With the sales conversation as the book's organizing principle, the reader can easily see how the strategies and tactics in the book help to win the sale.

Help with the Process and Psychology of Selling

You'll find lots of practical advice in the book, like how to handle sales on the phone, how to prepare for a meeting, and how to diagnose customer problems. But, early in the book, the authors discuss the importance of the seller's motivations, goals, and attitude to becoming a rainmaker. The main message: you are the key to your success as a seller. And they offer tools to help you think about and achieve that success.

Full of Hidden Gems

Rainmaking Conversations includes interesting sections on the role of influence in the sale, how to build that influence with customers, and techniques for co-creating solutions to customer problems. Schultz and Doerr also offer a framework that can help you develop your own style for dealing with the inevitable customer objection. There's a real-world feel to the wisdom in this book. You realize these gems weren't concocted out of thin air, but from the authors' decades of combined experience....

Reader-Friendly

Schultz and Doerr really understand how people are reading these days, so the book is a good combination of valuable lists, tables, and longer explanatory text. This is a book that you can scan to find the subject you want, or you can read the book from front to back. Sometimes, all you need is a reminder before a meeting, and the book is set up so you can access what you need.

I've read this book twice, and I found new ideas in the second reading that I missed the first time through. I liked the book and I think you will too. Read more ›

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best sales books for 2011. April 9, 2011

By Reg Nordman

Format:Hardcover

The authors are the principals of the RAIN group which publishes sales research and RAIN Today a highly respected sales blog/newsletter. I am voting this the best sales book of the year so far. This book is a fitting complement to David Maister's ground breaking work. The authors have been able to make this a comprehensive book as well as eminently readible. They keep the book true to the 10 Rainmaking principles:
1. Play to win-win
2. Live by goals
3. Take action
4. Think buying first, selling second.
5. Be a fluent expert.
6. Create new conversations every day.
7. Lead masterful rainmaking conversations.
8. Set the agenda: be a change agent.
9. Be brave.
10. Assess yourself, get feedback, and improve continuously.

I pulled a few jewels on value selling from this as well. The concept of Money Discomfort is well explained. They explain that there are two parts to this;

1. A general discomfort talking about money and
2. A money ceiling where talking about a certain amount becomes uncomfortable.

This also ties back to a persons buy cycle.

1. Some know what they want, and go out and buy it.
2. Others are indecisive, always price checking, and need sellers to educate them.

If a seller is more like the indecisive buyer, he will reflect that in his sales approach, especially if he trends to being a price seller.

Lesson learned, take individual money discomfort level and personal buying cycle into account when you are looking to improve your sales abilities or those of your team.

47 of 56 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Book is Good but the offer "Bonus Materials" is Very Misleading. April 22, 2011

By Edward H.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book because a read a friend's copy and wanted one for my library. On their website, RainToday said that if you ordered the book you would get $2,000 in bonus materials. What they did not tell you was that you have to visit almost 20 different websites for other RainToday "partners", log in to each one, give your name and email address to register with each, and then and only then can you get the materials.

The problem is is that most of the materials are materials that the "partners" would give to you for free anyway. Also, a lot of the materials are only designed to try to get you to buy the "complete package" from the partner. I wonder how many emails from these "partners" will I start to get.

The bottom line is that the book is good but don't buy it for the "$2,000 in bonus materials" or you will be disappointed. I was.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Similar to most books on how to sell May 29, 2011

By Shankar Saikia

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

RESONATE, DIFFERENTIATE, SUBSTANTIATE

The only valuable nugget from this book was the phrase "resonate, differentiate, substantiate" .. the three things that need to happen to make a sale ..

I bought this book because one weekend (around end of April 2011 or early May 2011) I saw it listed in the Wall Street Journal as among the top 10 business bestsellers by Nielsen Scan. I thought it was going to have something valuable ... it turned out to be similar to most books on sales tactics and strategies.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Basically Napoleon Hill in new wrapping May 26, 2011

By Guilherme

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I`m sorry to disagree with most of the other reviers but if anyone has already read The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons from Napoleon Hill won`t get absolutely nothing new here, except the very misleading and annoying "Bonus Materials" in the end of every chapter, as already noted by another revier - Edward H. Seriouly, save your time and money and go for Napoleon Hill.