Sales people, like athletes need to practice, get back to basics. Jeff Fox's book is a good way to get some "spring practice" in. A quick, enjoyable read, this will help you re-focus on what's important in your sales/business development activities. Read it, work it, expand upon it.

It's difficult for me to get into audio books while commuting, but I really did enjoy this offering from Jeffrey Fox. The chapters and concepts were kept to a succinct 3-5 minutes each - which was the perfect amount of time to get the point across without belaboring it. The narrator had a pleasant voice, and I found it easy and enjoyable to get through all of this material (even though I don't believe this resource had immediately turned me into a sales guru just by listening to it).

The approaches, techniques and strategies Fox covers can be applied by just about any business professional, especially those who either fear or have misconceptions about what effective selling really is. I recommend this resource to all of my creative freelance readers.

JM Tuber
Author of "Being a Starving Artist Sucks", ISBN: 0981622003

I think a lot of the negative reviews are written by people to whom (at least as I perceive it) this book was never meant to cater. I can see this book targets new sales people, and people who have not yet been trained out of the idea that it's okay to be themselves, with all their self-interest and personality issues, whilst representing a company. Possibly YOUR company. There are a lot of people who don't possess a natural understanding and intuition about what it means to be effective sales people, because they're focused on what they want, not what the customer wants. They may not have a natural perception that alerts them to potentially negative customer reaction. Those people need a book like this, and you don't need anyone to tell you there are plenty of sales people out there who don't truly understand what their profession is really about. Show the customer you're trustworthy, sell nothing the customer wouldn't ultimately be happy with, and you will deserve their trust, and they will open their wallets and reward you.

This is a simple, deep, and effective yet very misunderstood concepts. The principals and advice seem simple, but have a deeper meaning. I don't consider myself a salesman and when my very successful sales manager in my company recommended it, I knew there might be something to it.

Each short chapter lists and explains the credo the Rainmaker should have in order to be successful in sales. While they seem basic, the underlining meaning is that MOST sales people do not adhere to these principals. He constantly reminds the reader that sales in not about the salesman (though he can benefit), it is all about the customer. An attitude lost in today's greed stricken world of "what's in it for me."

Learning the techniques will help especially if you are just starting out in sales or want to be a better one. If I had this book when I sold real estate, I would have made a million dollars in the first year.

After reading this book and applying the principals, my salesmanship has increased the profit for my company and has brought higher rewards for me. This is a plus with any book.

I definitely recommend this book to all those who want to learn about sales, is just starting out in sales or wants to be more effective at work.

Enjoy

The vocabulary is simple, like you were explaining something to your dog. The book has the feeling of a Boy Scout Manual. As it turns out, a Rainmaker is a lot like a Boy Scout; helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Having read this book, you get the feeling you have been to the mountain top, talked to the big guy, got the big ten, and you are ready to make a sell. A great read for morale building.

Ah, if you can't finish reading this book in an hour, it was written for you.

I read these reviews for help ascertaining the practical usefulness of a sales book. The thousands of reviews written by fellow authors which abound throughout the review on business/sales books I discount as completely worthless, authors scratching each others backs. Then there are the reviews by all the folks that know nothing of what sales is like in the real trenches of belly to belly selling. Worthless as well. Then the reviews by so called sales people and sales managers that is their opinion of the book being a "good" book or a "bad" book, that have suggestions, systems, etc. that they deem worthy or unworthy based on nothing more then their decree. No help for a salesman looking to better his skills and productivity.

I started last January and used the dollarization principle as part of every sales process for the year. This single principal drove my closing rate into the 90 percentile (93%) when presenting to the decision maker. My closing rate dropped to 76% when I have been forced to "sell by messenger" (i.e. selling my messenger occurred at times due to my own failure to present only to the final decision maker).
I also specifically used the principal regarding a "shot on goal" to close my biggest sale of the year which paid me a commission of a little under $12,000.

I use Mr. Fox's magic appointment setting words that make setting appointments with qualified prospects a natural, zero stress process (next time you have some one on the phone you have qualified and would like to meet just say the magic words..."do you have your calendar handy?" Direct, to the point and works in setting appointments with folks you want to see.

I've read libraries of sales books and my personal feeling has always been that if I pick up just one tip that helps close a sale the book was worth while. Well the rain maker books did that and much more for me. Here are the stats after 1 yr. on a national sales team of 37 sales reps, B2B, financial industry:

* Sales ranking went from 3 in the country to number 1
(4th person in country has 30% of the sales volume as number 3)

* Sales increase 2006 to 2007; 89% increase in sales

* 46% increase in income in 2007 over 2006

So hopefully this was a little more helpful as a review for my friends that are shoulder to shoulder with me in the frontlines of selling.

Working on financing projects for millions of dollars or hundreds of millions is made easier by simply applying the principals of this book. If you read it quickly (which is made easier by it's brevity) and apply the insightful ideas and thoughts - you'll see a marked difference. This book and the series in general are excellent.

They have provided countless reads on airtrips and vacations! I can't say enough about sitting on the beach in Galveston with the gulf washing my feet and reading any of the books in this series.

The, "Killer Sales Questions," in this book are worthy of flash cards. I can tell you that all of our colleagues have been encouraged to read these books. In many cases, a set of them is given to each new team member as a gift from the office.

As a CEO you have to know how to make it rain, especially when the occasional drought comes along.

This is a simple book and very stupid one, But I am sure 90% of sales persons and business people do not even impliment these simple ideas.

Learn from Google Simplicity and its effectivness !

This book gives you simple ideas which they will bring you SALES easily.

This book gives detailed guidance on how to sell. Not a fuzzy, rah-rah guide, like many are, but with pointed and specific directions. It emphasizes hard work, preparation, application and discipline as keys to being successful, a Rainmaker. Some of the do's and don'ts border minutia but the author conveys the directness of purpose every sales person should maintain. It focuses on industrial sales environments where return on investment and cost vs. value are measurable. It's an easy read and should be read by every sale person who wants to get ahead. Even if you don't obey all the rules, you can pick up useful tools.

This is a very easy read chock full of terrific sales ideas and techniques. Even if you're an experienced salesperson, this book will help you remember some of the small, but excellent points to being a terrific salesperson.

Thank you Jeffery Fox for writing a short concise work that sales professionals can use as a reality check to focus their attention on the selling process. Rainmaker is something you can refer to for brief reminders about what you should be doing during the selling process. The book is also available as an unabridged audio book. It is a great tool for sales professionals who want to hone their craft. If you only buy the book for "The Rainmakers Credo" and "the Customer Does Not Care About You" you will have gotten value. This is not a 300-page in depth how to sell book. If your looking for that try Jeffrey Gitomer's "Sales Bible".

A great review of or way to learn effective techniques for developing new business.

OK, this is not the most earth shattering advice you will find but it addresses how to make a difference in your technique from multiple angles. There are many topics covered in two to four pages, each. These are simple concepts that require little explanation but bear remembering as they impact your ability to close.

There is no psychology here; a quality read that every customer facing person should keep on the shelf as a regular reference when they need an energy boost and need to refocus their efforts to be more effective.

OK, this is not the most earth shattering advice you will find but it addresses how to make a difference in your technique from multiple angles. There are many topics covered in two to four pages, each. These are simple concepts that require little explanation but bear remembering as they impact your ability to close.

There is no psychology here; a quality read that every customer facing person should keep on the shelf as a regular reference when they need an energy boost and need to refocus their efforts to be more effective.

I can't believe I'm being told how to dress, where to put the ball point pen, and not to talk while chewing food. Is he suggesting this program is for professional, intelligent adults? I read the reviews before I bought it, but got the CD audio version from Nightingale Conant thinking it was expanded in some way, but indeed, the negative reviews for the book are applicable here. Save your money, if you are under 14 years of age, just ask your Dad for common sense tips... it's probably better.

Let me give you the quick and easy essence of this pamphlet; Don't drink coffee and don't wear a pen in your shirt pocket. Both reasons, the author states, is you will get your shirt dirty and no one will buy from you.

COME ON!!!

Having a professional sales career spanning 21 years, I found this mini-book to be an intolerable reading effort written by someone who has never been in sales. It is also an insult to anyone in the profession.

If one was to follow these simple tidbits, they would find themself with little or no Customers at all. Customers would like to be treated as humans, not a bank of purchase orders.

The methods and "secrets" this author portrays as effective will destroy any Customer relationship one is trying to build. It will undermine the true effectiveness a sales professional has both with the Customer and internally with the organization he/she represents. Any adopter of these secrets will truly become a "pain-maker" to their Customers and those around them.

I can only hope my competitors adopt these techniques.

Obtuse: a : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : INSENSITIVE, STUPID b : difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression
synonym see DULL. per Merriam-Webster

Having a very succesful professional sales career, spanning 21 years, I found this mini-book to be a real effort written by someone who has never been in sales.

If one was to follow these simple tidbits, they would find themself with little or no Customers at all. Customers would like to be treated as humans, not a bank of purchase orders.

The methods and "secrets" this authors portrays as effective will destroy any Customer relationship one is trying to build. It will undermine the true effectiveness a sales professional has both with the Customer and internally with the organization he/she represents. The adopter of these secrets will truly become a pain-maker to those around them.

I can only hope my competitors adopt these techniques.

Having a very succesful professional sales career, spanning 21 years, I found this mini-book to be an effort written by someone who has never been in sales.

If one was to follow these "simple" tidbits, they would find themself with little or no Customers at all. Customers would like to be treated as humans, not a bank of purchase orders.

The methods and "secrets" this authors portrays as effective will destroy any relationship one is trying to build. It will undermine the true effectiveness a sales professional has both with the Customer and internally with the organization he/she represents. The adopter of these secrets will truly become painful to those around them.

It is a shame this pamplet of uselessness has been successful. I can only hope the company's sales force with whom I compete will wholly adopt these techniques.

This is a good book for those beginning a sales career--good basic information on "etiquette" and sales that aren't always covered in the orientation.

For sales managers whose teams may have become a little sloppy, it's a good refresher, too.

I like the point system, particularly. While it's not new and there are many similar methods around, this one is easy and will help those who tend to get tied up in non-sales activities to regain their focus.

The "canned" sales questions and tactics do make my skin crawl. I've listened to too many "trained" sales reps who follow the "method" to the point where I can predict their next three questions. And, I've always found the "rapport" part of the sales call useful, whereas Fox seems to advocate an almost abrupt "down-to-business" approach. Different strokes, I suppose.

Overall, I'd recommend it as part of a sales library.

Like any book on sales or marketing, you take what you need to boost your career and leave the rest "on the table". What I loved about this book is the quick read it gave, many of the chapters were a page or two. Many of the reviews here criticize the suggestions made in the book. Simply put, if it doesn't fit for you, don't use it. The power of this book is the advice on no longer making excuses, remembering that a potential client can always be around the corner, and getting good manners is a worthwhile investment.

Jeffrey Fox provides his advice in a format that is an easy read and can be used nearly immediately in your career. I highly recommend this book.

Not much there,some good ideas but really only a few chapters worth of material

While some reviewers complain that this book relies too heavily on common sense, my response is that sales people ignore common sense all too often, and need reminders like this one. True, the book does not resemble a textbook, but it is not supposed to.

Every day, I work full time at selling my products and services. I gained a few fresh ideas by reading How to Become a Rainmaker. For me, that makes the book worthwhile.

Not the greatest book ever, I agree--but Fox offers worthwhile tips that are practical and productive.

I was a bit disappointed reading this book...

It is a quick read that offers some general advice on how to be a top performing salesperson. (A "Rainmaker") Though the information was basic, many of the necessary traits of being a top performing sales professional have been primary personality/customer service skills that have been identified 50+ years ago.

You shouldn't eat with your mouth full, show up on time, and deliver what you have promised are not new "Rainmaker" techniques or skills.

This book appears to have been written cover to cover in a weeks time and sent to press. It would be a good general read for someone entering the profession, but pass on this book if you are an experienced salesperson looking at gaining an edge over your competition.

If you need this book to tell you "Don't talk with food in Your mouth" then you should have a chat with your mom on why she didn't teach you table manners.

If you find anything in this book to be new or useful then you are a very bad sales person

Stick to the classics from Miller Heiman like Strategic selling.

The pro and con of this book is that it appears to be a list of useful insights for acquiring and maintaining relationships with clients. It is useful in the sense that one need not read the previous 25 rules to implement rule 26. However, a reader desiring a more structured, comprehensive approach might want to look elsewhere. I personally found it to be a good book for reading for a few minutes every day, because I didn't need to necessarily remember all the previous items I had come across.

I bought this book many years ago. I am reading it again after I bought another book written by Jeff. I have spent my career in sales. However, the holy grail is to become a rainmaker. I have utilized a lot of the ideas inthe book. I believe these ideas will be profitable with my newest venture a website www.livinginstyleonline.com. I look forward to making the money pour like rain!!!!

Fun and interesting read, though those interested in making rain for agricultural or spiritual gains will be sorely disappointed.

If you're in sales, get this book. It contains everything that you knew you should do but forgot due to the daily grind. It is about a 2-3 hour read and when you're finished, you'll feel refreshed and motivated. Great for sales trainers - at my last job, they actually made a sales class out of it for sales beginners. Highly recommend.

Read this book if you are a salesperson or desire to succeed
in private entrepreneurialship. The first and most important
rule is to give the customer what he/she wants. The authors
encourage readers to treat customers as we would want to
be treated- sort of a golden rule applied to sales. It is
important to discuss a specific appointment time and date in order to gain access. Salespeople should be attentive to
potential "buy signals". Lastly, "fish where the fish go".
The authors stress that successful sales require that we
socialize with the people who will be making the purchases.
The book is a good value for the price charged.

I am sure that this book is handed out at many a company meeting. Too bad it does not have any substance to it. This book is merely a collection of stale and cliche ridden sales tips (though they have been changed enough to prevent any copyright lawsuits!). If you are looking for real sales tips, dont' buy this book. Rather, go to Google and search for sales tips. If you are a manager looking for a way to make your boss think you are motivating the troops, order this book. It might help your next review. This book is basically this year's "Who Moved my Cheese" or the fish throwing book.

I'm new to sales, so this book was great for me. I got a lot of help from it. I needed to sell my car among few other things, so i decided to go for this book because it didn't look like some sales bible filled with tons of information. I needed some fast information I could use right away, and this is exactly what I got from this book.

I'm guessing that to the seasoned, experienced seller this book would be waste of money and time, but for beginner who needs some fast, to the point information, it will be very helpful.

this is what you find in this book,
** customers don't care about you, but about themselves and their problems.
** Always plan your sales call, like a sports team plans their strategy. (He tells you how)
** Help them see money. Don't sell the product, sell dollorized value. People would select the product that yield lowest total cost. (I can't explain this, it'll take too much space, read the book, but this is one of the gems from the book.)
** He tells you few "killer" sales questions and explains them, very helpful.
** Don't make cold calls, don't go for "break the ice" introduction (he explains why)