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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best sales books for 2011., April 9, 2011
This review is from: Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation (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.
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35 of 40 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
This review is from: Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation (Hardcover)
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.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of Gems, April 19, 2011
This review is from: Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation (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.
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