Rainmaking Made Simple: What Every Professional Must Know [Hardcover]

Mark M. Maraia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

Rainmaking Made Simple: What Every Professional Must Know is the definitive how-to guide for professionals on growing their business. It demystifies the process of building client relationships, making it simple to grasp, retain, and put into practice.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Maraia is a lawyer turned relationship development coach who has worked one-on-one with thousands of professionals at some of the world’s largest professional service firms. Mark has personally coached professionals on how to develop the selling and networking skills needed to help them create and strengthen client relationships, both individually and in teams. In so doing, he has helped his clients achieve significant bottom-line results.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Professional Services Publishing (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972453202
• ISBN-13: 978-0972453202
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding practical advice from a recognized expert., February 11, 2003

By 

Dale A. Burket (Maitland, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rainmaking Made Simple: What Every Professional Must Know (Hardcover)

Maraia is a recognized expert in the field of rainmaking for professionals, and this book is a compilation of tips and advice from his years of consulting with hundreds and hundreds of attorneys and other professionals who hate the thought of asking for business. Maraia disarms the reader's objections and recharacterizes the task of rainmaking in a manner that is both fresh and appealing to professionals. Why ask for business directly when you can simply reconnect with a dormant client or an old college friend? Maraia teaches that rainmaking is all about making relationships, about connecting and reconnecting in ways that demonstrate that you truly care about and want to help others. As Zig Ziglar has said, "You can get anything you want if you just help enough other people get what they want".

There are no platitudes here - only practical and immediately useable advice, organized for easy reference. I'm recommending this book to every professional that I know. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a referral.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward, Practical, Useful, September 10, 2006

By 

Janet H. Moore "Global Rainmaking Strategist" (GlobalRainmaking.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rainmaking Made Simple: What Every Professional Must Know (Hardcover)

Can rainmaking for lawyers be simple? According to Mark Maraia, it can be--and his book tells attorneys how.

This is one of the best books around on rainmaking for lawyers. It suggests many actions that lawyers can take to develop clients, and breaks down these actions into easily understood steps.

As a coach to lawyers, I particularly appreciate how Maraia stresses this simple maxim: every client communication is a client development opportunity. How true! Every client communication--whether a legal bill, an email or a conversation--should be used to enhance the attorney-client relationship by building trust and communicating value. This can't be emphasized enough.

Maraia also explores topics like cross selling and developing associates' marketing skills. These techniques are too often ignored by lawyers, and Maraia clearly explains why they are effective.

One caveat: my lawyer clients who handle international matters and deal with foreign clients have had to modify some of these rainmaking tactics. Effective cross-cultural communication means communicating with cultural sensitivity and awareness. In a global economy this is critical. A few of Maraia's suggested techniques--while effective with American clients--can be too direct and off-putting for those foreign clients used to an "indirect" communication style. However, Maraia's basic principles are sound and can be easily tweaked for multicultural rainmaking.

Maraia also emphasizes that rainmaking training (through this book or in person) is much more effective with follow-on coaching. In fact, recognizing that lawyers will become more effective rainmakers if they customize and implement the rainmaking techniques with the help of a trained lawyer coach, Maraia explains that he only offers in person training with follow-on coaching. Regardless, this book is a great, straightforward and practical resource.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best marketing book for lawyers, October 15, 2005

By 

James Hassett (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rainmaking Made Simple: What Every Professional Must Know (Hardcover)

There are several excellent marketing books that are specifically aimed at lawyers and professional service firms. I think this is the best. From "Twenty Ideas for Increasing Client Satisfaction" (Chapter 9) to "Using Speaking to Win New Clients" (Chapter 34), and "Avoid Random Acts of Lunch" (Chapter 16) the advice is specific, detailed, and exteremly useful. The 48 short, practical chapters are especially helpful as job aids - read only what you need, exactly when you need it. And if you have any doubts about whether it works, just read the 67 testimonials in the front of the book.