Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade, and Sell in Any Situation

Acknowledgments ix

Part One Getting Ready to Make RAIN 1

1 Introduction 3

2 The Most Important Conversation You’ll Ever Have 19

3 Goal and Action Planning: Making the Most Rain 27

4 Understanding and Communicating Your Value Proposition 35

Part Two RAIN Selling Key Concepts 49

5 Rapport 51

6 Aspirations and Afflictions 59

7 Impact 71

8 New Reality 85

9 Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry 95

10 Digging Deep into Needs: The Five Whys 107

11 16 Principles of Influence in Sales 115

12 Tips for Leading Rainmaking Conversations 135

Part Three Maximizing Your RAIN Selling Success 153

13 Prospecting by Phone: Creating Rainmaking Conversations 155

14 Handling Objections 181

15 Closing Opportunities, Opening Relationships 195

16 What You Need to Know to Sell 205

17 Planning Each Rainmaking Conversation 215

18 How to Kill a Sales Conversation 221

19 Putting RAIN in Your Forecast 237

Appendix and Online Resources 239

About RAIN Group 257

About RainToday.com 258

RainToday.com Membership 259

About the Authors 260

Index 262