Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation

by Mike Schultz, John E. Doerr

Overview

Conversations make or break everything in sales. Every conversation you have is an opportunity to find new prospects, win new customers, and increase sales. Rainmaking Conversations provides a proven system for leading masterful conversations that fill the pipeline, secure new deals, and maximize the potential of your account.

Rainmaking Conversations offers a research-based, field-tested, and practical selling approach that will help you master the art of the sales conversation. This proven system revolves around the acronym RAIN, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. You'll learn how to ask your prospects and clients the right questions, and help them set the agenda for success.

Armed with the knowledge of the markets you serve, the common needs of prospects, and how your products and services can help, you can become a trusted advisor to your clients during and after the sale. With the RAIN system, you'll be able to:

• Build rapport and trust from the first contact
• Create conversations with prospects, referral sources, and clients using the telephone, email, and mail
• Uncover the real need behind client challenges
• Make the case for improved business impact and return on investment (ROI) for your prospects
• Understand and communicate your value proposition
• Apply the 16 principles of influence in sales
• Overcome and prevent all types of objections, including money
• Craft profitable solutions and close the deal

The world-class RAIN Selling^SM methodology has helped tens of thousands of people lead powerful sales conversations and achieve breakthrough sales performance. Start bridging the gap between "hello" and profitable relationships today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470922231
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	03/29/2011
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

MIKE SCHULTZ is Co-President of RAIN Group and a world-renowned consultant and expert in sales train-ing and performance improvement. He is publisher of RAIN Group’s RainToday.com, one of the world’s largest online magazines (over 100,000 subscribers) and member- ship sites for sales and marketing. He is also on the faculty in the Marketing Division at Babson College and writes at www.raingroup.com/blog and on Twitter at @Mike_Schultz.

JOHN E. DOERR is Co-President of RAIN Group and consults, speaks, writes, and teaches on the subjects of selling and sales performance. His own rainmaking conversations have helped lead RAIN Group to Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest growing companies in the United States. Find him on Twitter at @JohnEDoerr.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Part One Getting Ready to Make RAIN 1

1 Introduction 3

2 The Most Important Conversation You’ll Ever Have 19

3 Goal and Action Planning: Making the Most Rain 27

4 Understanding and Communicating Your Value Proposition 35

Part Two RAIN Selling Key Concepts 49

5 Rapport 51

6 Aspirations and Afflictions 59

7 Impact 71

8 New Reality 85

9 Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry 95

10 Digging Deep into Needs: The Five Whys 107

11 16 Principles of Influence in Sales 115

12 Tips for Leading Rainmaking Conversations 135

Part Three Maximizing Your RAIN Selling Success 153

13 Prospecting by Phone: Creating Rainmaking Conversations 155

14 Handling Objections 181

15 Closing Opportunities, Opening Relationships 195

16 What You Need to Know to Sell 205

17 Planning Each Rainmaking Conversation 215

18 How to Kill a Sales Conversation 221

19 Putting RAIN in Your Forecast 237

Appendix and Online Resources 239

About RAIN Group 257

About RainToday.com 258

RainToday.com Membership 259

About the Authors 260

Index 262

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"There are lots of books on selling, but few as free of fluff as Rainmaking Conversations." —-Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid

Editorial Reviews

"There are lots of books on selling, but few as free of fluff as Rainmaking Conversations." ---Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid

From the Publisher

With its lists and bullet points threatening to clutter the flow of the writing, John Boehmer certainly had his hands full while delivering this exceptional sales lesson. The resulting performance is flawless—skillfully phrased so that everything makes sense and sounds appropriately businesslike. (You don't hear too much of Boehmer’s personality.) His appealing way with dialogue is a particular strength. The authors, who are top-shelf sales consultants, have a strong grasp of complex sales and sales relationships. They miss nothing as they lay out principles and practices that reflect the nuances of sales relationships and the power of broad product knowledge and skillful persistence. With fascinating examples from a broad selection of industries, this is a must-hear for those who take their sales career seriously. T.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2012 - AudioFile