It has been a brutally hot spring in NE Ohio. We haven't had rain in weeks, the grass is turning brown and I (a professed anti-air conditioning maven) have had to break down and turn on the evil money-sucking machine.

Hot.

This morning I got up to walk before it hit 90 and decided to listen to a new book I purchased last night "Secrets of Great Rainmakers - The Keys to Success and Wealth" by Jeffrey Fox.

Truth be told, I'm not looking to be wealthy - I was really just looking for a book that would help me PICK UP THE PHONE and make calls on behalf of my business. I couldn't find one - is anyone out there writing one? - but this book sounded interesting.

The back cover professed that by listening/reading this book I would learn:

Why your competitor is not who you think
Why you shouldn't take no from a person who can't say yes
Why you should take the word "price" out of your vocabulary
Why silence can be golden
How to find the decision maker
Why the idea of relationships as a bankable swelling strategy is bunk.

Do what the Rainmakers do. Go make rain!

As I walked and listened - Jeffrey (for the book is read by the author) made a lot of sense. How many times had I heard no from a customer who really wasn't the person who could say yes?

The crux of the book, so far, is that a great rainmaker is always working, and works DIFFERENTLY than the typical sales people. She doesn't cold call; she researches in advance and learns about the company, the industry, their competition and the DOLLAR VALUE her products/services will mean in savings for her targeted prospect.

A sales person who is going the cold call route takes the shotgun approach - spraying the field of prospects and seeing if they can hit one. A Rainmaker uses their brain to strategically select the most likely prospect and then focuses on them in great detail.

As I walked, the contents of the book not only stimulated my brain but also acted as an ancient American Indian rain dance. About 1-1/2 miles from home the heavens opened and it literally began to rain.

A sign from up above for sure.

Walking in the rain while listening to rainmaking strategies.

Not a bad way to start my day.

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Professional Writer, Rainmaker?
AllWrite Ink