This week I came across a book that I had read several years ago called “How to Become a Rainmaker” by Jeffery J. Fox. I noticed that I had dog-eared and highlighted many of the pages. This book is chocked full of ideas to help new and seasoned Account Managers become top sales performers or as the author refers to them as “Rainmakers”.
One of the chapters that caught my attention was “How to recognize a Rainmaker” which is the motivation for this article and a series of articles I plan to write in the next couple of weeks called “The Rainmaker Series”.
In the chapter, Mr. Fox answers the question “What one attribute makes a Rainmaker — the “Best” salesperson?” He feels the answer is really very simple “they sell more than the others”.
Mr. Fox goes on to state:
“When the score is tallied, it doesn’t matter how hard someone worked, or how many brilliant memos someone wrote, or how perfect the monthly reports. It doesn’t matter how clever the conversation, how hip the clothes, or how smooth the style. The only score that counts is how much money is generated.”
This may sound as though it’s only the sale that matters. Which, at the end of the day or when the final score is tallied may be true but it is and has always been the Salesperson who practices and perfects the many skills needed and develops good work and sales habits that will have the best chance to become a Rainmaker.
The really successful Account Managers and Salespeople that I have worked with possess many of the same skills. Some of these are:
- Assertive
- Organized
- Good listener
- Able to communicate effectively
- Willingness to learn
- Care about their customer’s needs
- Never satisfied with just being average
These are the skills needed by all Salespeople but the really good Salespeople do most of these things much better than the others.
So, if your desire is to become a Rainmaker or Top Salesperson for your company or organization, please follow along as I discuss each of the skills in depth over the next few weeks. I will also interview some of the most successful Account Managers in our organization and find out what they think has made them so successful.
As you read the articles please ask yourself “What skills and habits do these people possess that I don’t or that I may need to improve?”
I hope you enjoy this upcoming series. If you would like me to cover a topic that I may not have mentioned above or would just like to leave a comment please do so below or you can email me a feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
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