Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

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RAINMAKER?
The term rainmaker comes from Native American traditions. Some tribes revered
the rainmaker, whom it was believed had spiritual powers to bring rain during times
of drought. This term is loosely used to describe individuals within organizations
who bring revenue to an organization. Like the Native American rainmakers, today’s
organizational rainmakers bring a flow required for life, except instead of a flow of
water, it is a flow of income-generating sales. The rainmaker title is usually bestowed
upon the one or two top salespeople in an organization. They usually bring in a
much greater proportion of the sales than others and usually close the largest deals.
The term has been around for some time, but not widely used outside the sales
profession in several industries including consulting, advertising, accounting, investment
banking, and other professional service industries.
Do rainmakers have magical powers? Not really. They most likely use the same
skills and techniques we will discuss in this chapter. However, they may employ
them with a greater amount of expertise and more confidence than most of us.
Selling—is it really just for a special few? The rainmakers of an organization? I
think not. We could all perfect the art of selling and increase revenue flow—like
the rainmakers.
Luick tip . . .
Read How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox.
VALUE-ADDED SELLING
You will find many definitions and many names for the value-added selling concept.
The definition I prefer is to “be a resource, not a salesperson.” You may also read
about client-centered selling or relationship selling or consultative selling. Except for
minor variations, the philosophy is the same. Be a resource. Be helpful. When clients
need assistance, they will frequently call a (sales) person whom they trust the most;
they call someone they believe will have an answer. They call a resource.
Harvey Mackay, author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, says
that the mark of good salespeople is that clients don’t think of them as salespeople,
but as “trusted and indispensable advisors, auxiliary employees who, fortunately,
are on someone else’s payroll.” It is important to recognize that, as the title
of this chapter indicates, your clients buy you.
Marketing Your Consulting Services