How to be a Rain Maker !!!
from Gr8 Sales Tips.com 2010 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
I’m going to give you a brief outline to a great book, “How to become a Rain-Maker” The book was written by Jeffrey Fox and is one of the simplest reads and easily explains some of the tips & processes; along with, philosophies of great sales people known as RainMakers. I would highly recommend this book to any person involved in the sales of your company’s products – from the CEO down. I would recommend but based on how easy of a read it is, the content, and the results you can get from it if you just follow the concepts.
What is a RainMaker? Any person who brings large amounts of revenue into an organization. Every employee must be involved in the identification, attraction, getting & keeping of customers. Most important success factor in any business is having a customer. It is their money that pays for everything in a business. Therefore, it is paramount that every employee is to directly or indirectly, get & keep customers.
Rainmaker’s Code of Conduct
1. Cherish customers at all times.
2. Treat customers as you would your best friend.
3. Listen to customers and determine their needs.
4. Make (or give) customers what they need.
5. Price your product to make it affordable.
6. Show customers the “value” of what they will get.
7. Teach customers to “want” what they need.
8. Make your product the way customers want it.
9. Get your product to your customers “when” they want it.
10. Give your customers a little extra, more than they expect.
11. Remind your customers of the value they received.
12. Thank each customer sincerely & often.
13. Help customers pay you, so they won’t be embarrassed and go elsewhere.
14. Ask them to do it again.
Why should this Customer do Business with us? The answer must be a “benefit” to the customer. It will make them feel good, or you will solve their problem, or both. There must be a business & a personal benefit-often inter-linked- for the customer. The rainmaker determines how the customer is benefited directly & personally. The rainmaker asks, ”If I were the customer, how would this product benefit me?” Good customers can be demanding, don’t make promises that you cant deliver.
Always Pre- Plan calling on potential Customers. Pre-call planning is particularly important when making the first call on a new customer and when making the last call (if needed) – the one that concludes with the order. Too many people believe experience is a substitute for pre-call planning; they think they don’t need to. Other people do their pre-call planning on the way to a call. Others don’t even know how to pre-call plan. Some don’t know they should. Rainmakers never waste a call: They always pre-call plan.
A Pre-call Planning Checklist should include:
1. Have a written call objective.
2. Have a list of needs analysis questions ready to ask.
3. Have something to show; a product sample, graphics, testimonials, etc.
4. Anticipated customer concerns & objections ahead of time.
5. Strategies to handle objections & eliminate customer concerns.
6. Know the points of difference vs your competitors.
7. Have a list of meaningful Benefits to customers.
8. Value approach; Return on Investment (ROI).
9. Closing strategies of how to get them to say yes – flexible & willing to negotiate.
10. Expected or unexpected surprises.
11. And plan to be flexible.
A good Rainmaker never calls on a decision maker, without a written pre-call plan.
Fish where the BiG Fish are. Bigger companies in an industry are usually better prospects than small companies in the same industry. Customers who “want” your product are better targets than customers who “need” your products. (Customers who need your product may not know it and need to be educated & persuaded. Customers who want your product are partially sold before they see you).
Show them the Value. Customers buy for two reasons: 1) to feel good or 2) to solve a problem. However, they also want a bargain, so create Value without discounting or dropping your price.
Rainmakers sell Value. They sell better, faster, cheaper, etc. Rainmakers help the customer see their savings in the Value. Rainmakers turn benefits into dollars. Quantify the customer’s ROI in your product. Calculate the financial consequences to the customer – the cost of going without your solution. Rainmakers don’t really sell products; they sell the Value the customer gets from the product.
Comments: Do you have any ideas on how to be a better Rain Maker?