Rainmaker

I am probably like most readers of the internet. I scour for what I want and consume it without much discretion as long as it has hints of flavors I am looking for. Only every now and then am I pleasantly surprised by what I find.

A large part of being a rainmaker in sales, or any avenue of life, is to be familiar enough that people will give you a chance and once you are given the opportunity you can really shine. Fortunately for me I am automatically given the opportunity because of what I now do, but it took me a while to get here. Most people can become fantastic salespeople and learn to make it rain but just like the shamans of past and the current rainmakers it takes years of training, patience and an understanding of the environment around you. Here are a few tips to help you get started setting yourself apart from the pack starting with some basics.

Always dress for the part you want. Often this means caring about how you present yourself, you can be complimented for being casual but it can also work against you in some scenarios, always put your best foot forward. I iron my clothes everyday and before it was required I wore a tie and jacket, because why not, part of my draw is that I have always enjoyed having my own flair even when I only had about 3-5 outfits to wear they were all very unique. We all have to wear clothes so why not make it entertaining this is being familiar but setting yourself apart. One of the best salesman I worked with always took his photos for the internet with a hat on and he instructed his clients to ask for the guy with the wide brimmed hat, and even if they couldn’t remember his name they would always ask for the guy with the hat. He is a fantastic salesperson!

Part of the sale is creating a persona, an idea of who you want to be and what you represent so clients can align themselves with you. While your clothing helps create this character you help make it real when you speak. Verbal communication is not as important as non verbal but learning when to raise your voice, when to proclaim something exciting and when to be timid and suggestive is all very important. When you are starting out finding your sales voice is an important step, and the more confidently you can speak from the heart or the soul the better you will become. Remember that if someone didn’t want to hear what you have to say they probably wouldn’t be there, as you become better at reading body language you will see when they are no longer engaged.

Handshakes are extremely important, with certain religious women it is okay to ask if it is alright to shake their hand, and for most men it is okay to simply extend your hand for a greeting. Always stand up, always, shaking hands sitting down is in poor taste. When you shake someone’s hand make sure you hold on to their hand long enough to look into their eyes if possible and notice something about them, eye color, smile, some defining facial feature. Try to hold their hand for at least 7 seconds if you can, long enough to say a nice greeting and help them feel more comfortable with you. Hands can heal and if someone seems sensitive to touching it’s okay to give them some space, but if you can hang on stay in there, if the handshake is in a weird position you can release and ask to shake again for a better shake, people appreciate this. Complimenting a good handshake is always welcome. It took me a long time to realize the importance of this simple gesture.

Remember names! Someones name is one of the most important things to remember and it can put as a smile on their face immediately, for a lot of people it means they matter to you. I used to make it a point to use someones name until it almost seemed too obvious what I was doing, but I have never been called out and it only helped me remember names faster. Back when I had a smaller client base I had a fantastic trick for remembering names: as soon as I heard a name, as long as I wasn’t meeting a bunch of people at once, I would think of someone with the same name that I liked and imagine that person smiling or doing something quintessentially them and whenever I would see that new client that person would pop back into my head. Another thing you can do is ask personal questions about their life, their interests, their loves, what makes them laugh and what makes them money and write it down, people not only love when you remember their name they also love when you remember things about them.

Remembering things about your clients will be magnified if you can remember something you like about them. I find something I like about every person I meet, and if it is appropriate I will compliment them on it as sincerely as I can. This isn’t something to overdo, but when done right, one compliment can make someone feel much more confident and better about themselves. When I was in direct car sales and someone asked me who the best customers were or asked me what I thought of xyz person I could sincerely tell them I have the best clients in the world and I was fortunate that they wanted to work with me. If a client bought a car from me it meant they trusted me and even if they didn’t I have had clients return three times never buy a car from me but proudly proclaim I was their car salesperson because whenever they needed a car they wanted to work with me. Sometimes the product just isn’t right and being a genuine salesperson a consultative salesperson is where you will find out whether my sales approach is one that will work for you as well.

Making it rain isn’t good for one person, making it rain benefits everyone and we all get to reap the bounty in the future. Being one of the best salespeople, consultants, etc. isn’t about reaping the bounty for yourself and planting the seeds solely for your future, being a great salesperson and rainmaker is about finding the zero sum game in every situation, the win win scenario. And, if it appears there isn’t a win win scenario it means taking the road that will benefit the most people. My goal as a sales consultant is to help others in as many meaningful ways as I possibly can, from my sales team, to my management who employs me, to the people who make sure my checks get cashed and of course the clients who trust me every day to help them make the right decisions for them and the same people in their lives.

– FACS