This entry was posted on 3/18/2006 5:46 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
The first thing that you should know is that in 2005, I didn’t know what a blogger was and now I am one. In case you are like I was, blog is short for “web log” and the definition that I like is “a shared on-line journal where people can post entries about their personal or professional experiences”.
So, with your permission, we’ll proceed. What is a RainMaker? Dictionary.com has a few definitions. “An employee of a brokerage firm who brings a large amount of wealthy individuals or corporations to the brokerage firm's client base” or “One who is known for achieving excellent results in a profession or field, such as business or politics” or “a person (as a partner in a law firm) who brings in new business” or “executive who is very successful in bringing in business to his company or firm”. Dictionary.com asserts further that “Rainmakers are usually compensated very well for their efforts (or connections)”. Interestingly, I found no synonyms for RainMaker at Thesaurus.com.
I looked for some explanations as to the differences between a RainMaker and a salesperson and found many, but none that suited my needs. I’ve been both. When I was a salesperson, I wrote the order, handed the order to the person who was going to deliver on my promises, and I got my commission. As a salesperson, I wasn’t necessarily involved in the delivery of the product or service. Somebody else did that. As a professional in a service firm, I had to find clients. I had to use the same skills and techniques that I used as a salesperson to find clients, except that after I found the new client, I didn’t get paid. I then had to do the work, then bill the client, then I got paid. Eventually, I reached the point that I had way more clients than I could service myself, so I found associates who were capable of making my clients happy. Thus, my transition to RainMaker was complete. So, for the purposes of this forum, I submit that a RainMaker is a person who could potentially deliver the service and satisfy the client himself (or herself, but I’m never gonna double gender again), but because of reputation or sales ability, brings more value to the firm by allowing others to do the work so the RainMaker can get back to “making rain”.
I hope that this forum will allow us to share challenges and successes in becoming the RainMaker in our own firm and I hope that you’ll comment, subscribe, and forward this link to every RainMaker and RainMaker “want-to-be” that you know.
Rick
P.S. – I expect that some of my “technical” friends will give me grief about how “un-slick” this blog is. First, it’s not about slick, it’s about “Making Rain”. Second, I don’t know if this is gonna be fun yet. If it’s not, I’m not gonna do it for long. If it is, I’m gonna have one of you make it slick. Deal? Now subscribe, comment and forward, or don't. You pick!
