Over the course of 25 years, I’ve met a lot of people. Some of the people who fascinate me the most are those brave “client-facing” individuals in sales, business development, program management, and account management. It takes a special type of person to go out there and risk rejection every day with every customer contact. For our purposes, we’ll call them “rainmakers”.

A “Rainmaker” in primitive culture was one who attempted to cause it to rain through ritualistic dances, chants, and ceremonies. In business, it is a term for those who are the agents of growth for any business or organization. In the same way that rain makes crops grow, rainmakers make organizations grow. Rainmakers are the most valuable to any organization and are often the most highly paid because they are the engine of financial growth for the organization. And every organization needs them.

Rainmakers have several secrets in common, they:

1. Have credibility – They are a subject matter expert (SME) or are technically skilled in their domain, which gives them credibility. They don’t just read the marketing “slick”, they actually know what they are talking about.
2. Know their market – They know the habits, behavior, and environment of their customers intimately. They also know what their competition is up to.
3. Show up – They have consistent contact with their customer base.
4. Are real humans – They are a real human being to their customer. Their customer knows them well, they are not just the person who sells them stuff.
5. Are positive – They look at life, their work, and their customers (especially) in the best light.
6. Are responsive – Sometimes sales are initiated by the customer, and what they need, they needed yesterday. The best client-facing people know this and respond accordingly. Whatever they deliver, they do so on time … excellently.
7. Compete and quote ALOT – They put in a lot of bids and quotes because they know that sales is a numbers game. The more they make, the more they make.
8. Play the long game – They see their customer as a long term relationship, so they avoid short-term sales and solutions to get their end of quarter target or quota. They think long term, and end up doing more and more business with their customer. They also know that customers need at least 5-7 exposures before they are willing to buy.
9. Are a partner – They are a trusted honest broker to their customer and they, in the best interest of their customer, they act as more of a partner than a vendor.
10. Anticipate – They know their customers’ needs, wants, and desires and match up solutions accordingly.
11. Farm – They sow, plant, cultivate and reap multiple opportunities by keeping a running list of all the potential opportunities and potential new customers.
12. Follow up, follow up, follow up – This is the cardinal rule of business and business development. Most initiatives fail on lack of follow-up. “Rainmakers” make rain because they are persistent in it.

Question: In your opinion, what do you think is a key secret of success for Rainmakers? You can leave a comment by clicking here.