Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth [Hardcover]

Jeffrey J. Fox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2006

In Secrets of the Great Rainmakers you+ll learn how to outsmart the competition and set yourself apart from the pack. In over 50 interviews with industry leaders from a wide variety of fields, bestselling author Jeffrey J. Fox will share the proven techniques and hard-won wisdom that have helped great rainmakers get ahead, along with his trademark brand of counterintuitive insight and commentary that have made his books so popular.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A street-smart marketing expert, Harvard MBA, and author of bestselling business books gives the ultimate lesson on starting a business from the ground up…It’s practical advice that is put on the table in knock-your-socks-off directness that makes sense right away in your gut…. Don’t start a business without hearing this essential lesson!” —AudioFile magazine on HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY IN YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jeffrey J. Fox has published six bestselling business books, including How to Become a Rainmaker and How to Become CEO. The founder of Fox & Company, a premier marketing consulting firm, he has been named "Outstanding Marketer" by Sales and Marketing Management magazine, the National Industrial Distributors Association’s "Outstanding Marketer," and the Connecticut American Marketing Association’s "Marketer of the Year." He has held senior marketing positions at several international companies and is a sought-after speaker to senior executives. A graduate of Trinity College, he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives in New Hampshire and has offices in Chester, Connecticut.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (February 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401301576
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301576
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grew up in a small town. Saw Mickey Mantle hit several home runs at Yankee Stadium. State high school baseball champions. Full scholarship to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Featured in the book, How to Succeed in Business Before Graduating From College. Played rugby at Harvard Business School. Married to the same girl since 1968. Bought an old house and moved it three miles next to a brook. Broke leg playing rugby for the Hartford Wanderers. Retired from rugby. Lived in San Francisco and worked in the wine business. Three children and their families. Own some small businesses. Oodles of dogs and birds. Favorite cities outside the US are Paris, Florence, Istanbul, Montreal. Favorite small towns are Bellagio, Siena, Zihuatenejo, Mufugano Island, Bodrhum. Started Fox&Co. in 1982. Wrote eight books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful stuff, much of what you won't find elsewhere!, June 10, 2006

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth (Hardcover)

HOW TO BECOME A RAINMAKER by Jeffrey J. Fox is one of my

all-time favorite books on selling . . . if you're in that field or know

somebody who is, do that person a big favor and get him or her a

copy . . . they'll be forever grateful.

I recently heard the follow-up, SECRETS OF GREAT

RAINMAKERS--written and read by Fox . . . for this latest effort,

he conducted over 50 interviews with industry leaders from a

variety of field . . . .he then shares what he learned in a series

of short chapters that all contain very powerful messages.

The amazing thing about Fox is that he takes what can be

a difficult task and makes it relatively simple, provided that

you listen to his advice . . . what makes it so interesting is

that much of what he shares can't be found elsewhere.

For example, he tells you not to knock your competition . . . for

if you do, you're telling your customer that he or she is stupid for

considering somebody else.

He also presents "killer questions" that can be helpful in selling

anything, such as:

* In addition to yourself, who is responsible for making this decision

happen in your country? And what might be their concerns about

going ahead?

* [when a customer has a question] Why do you ask? And how

important is it to you?

There were many other memorable tidbits, including:

* In a sales call, the customer should do 80% of the talking.

* Play Rolodex Roulette at least once a month. Give it a spin,

pick some names, call some of them.

* Always use an intriguing postscript.

* The phone call never sells anything.

* Only after you get the order can you ask a non-business question.

* 90% of salespeople don't ask for the order.

* Always ask for something on a visit; e.g., a tour of the facility. If you're

the one being asked to take a tour, that's a buy signal.

* Take handwritten notes on every call. Then summarize your notes in

a follow-up letter to the customer.

* Don't mail your proposal. A good proposal, well written, has a 15-18%

winning percentage. Good proposals, when presented in person, have

a 55-65% winning percentage.

* People who ask for the sale in person have four times the chance of

getting it than those who don't.

And my personal favorite:

* In the future, some power point presenter will be arrested for boring

the customer to death!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After a Year the results speak, January 2, 2008

By 

Black Raven (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth (Hardcover)

I read these reviews for help ascertaining the practical usefulness of a sales book. The thousands of reviews written by fellow authors which abound throughout the review on business/sales books I discount as completely worthless, authors scratching each others backs. Then there are the reviews by all the folks that know nothing of what sales is like in the real trenches of belly to belly selling. Worthless as well. Then the reviews by so called sales people and sales managers that is their opinion of the book being a "good" book or a "bad" book, that have suggestions, systems, etc. that they deem worthy or unworthy based on nothing more then their decree. No help for a salesman looking to better his skills and productivity.

I started last January and used the dollarization principle as part of every sales process for the year. This single principal drove my closing rate into the 90 percentile (93%) when presenting to the decision maker. My closing rate dropped to 76% when I have been forced to "sell by messenger" (i.e. selling my messenger occurred at times due to my own failure to present only to the final decision maker).

I also specifically used the principal regarding a "shot on goal" to close my biggest sale of the year which paid me a commission of a little under $12,000.

I use Mr. Fox's magic appointment setting words that make setting appointments with qualified prospects a natural, zero stress process (next time you have some one on the phone you have qualified and would like to meet just say the magic words..."do you have your calendar handy?" Direct, to the point and works in setting appointments with folks you want to see.

I've read libraries of sales books and my personal feeling has always been that if I pick up just one tip that helps close a sale the book was worth while. Well the rain maker books did that and much more for me. Here are the stats after 1 yr. on a national sales team of 37 sales reps, B2B, financial industry:

* Sales ranking went from 3 in the country to number 1

(4th person in country has 30% of the sales volume as number 3)

* Sales increase 2006 to 2007; 89% increase in sales

* 46% increase in income in 2007 over 2006

So hopefully this was a little more helpful as a review for my friends that are shoulder to shoulder with me in the frontlines of selling.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent and to the point, May 20, 2006

By 

Michael P. Maslanka (dallas, texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth (Hardcover)

Fox packs a lot into 183 pages. His big ideas: potential customers don't ask idle questions of you or meet with you just to pass the time---there is a story on the surface and there is a story underneath it. Be attuned to it, and leverage it. And he tells us---don't sell on price; show why your product or service may cost more but is an investment. Educate the potential customer. Some of his lessons are not useful to those who sell services(he would disagree), but his overarching lessons---especially his insight that maximum returns result from incremental efforts---are dead on.