Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth (Hardcover)

by Jeffrey J. Fox (Author)
Key Phrases: dollarized value, ordinary salespeople, precall planning, Probability of Close, Secrets of Great Rainmakers, Terrific Tools (more...)

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 the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (February 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401301576
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301576
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,404 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #48 in	Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Sales & Selling > Management
  #61 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Customer Service
  #73 in	Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Sales & Selling > Techniques

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 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 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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!

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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading, August 22, 2007

By	TAG (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

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

This is the second Jefferey J Fox book I've read, and it's as a good as the first. Great real-world examples. Easy to read. I highly recommend everyone read it.