Most of the RainMakers that I know own the business. They all work 60+ hours every week. They’re goal driven. They typically have a plan. Work a schedule. Establish priorities.

In my opinion, the #1 priority of a RainMaker is to make rain. Bring in business. Not to be billable. Not to administrate (is that right?). Not to deal with vendors, computer problems, solicitors, anything. All of these functions are important. All must be done. But the #1 priority is to bring in business.

Now, as the rainmaker and as the owner, don’t you have the authority to determine what should be done with regard to building your business? You get to put what’s important on your schedule and you get to adjust when you think it’s appropriate.

So, why would a rainmaker blow off a non-repeating networking event simply because a hard to reach prospect returns your call and says let’s meet tonight. If networking is not part of your plan, don’t put it on your schedule. If it is part of your plan, why blow it off? You don’t have to tell the prospect that you’re networking. Just tell him that you can’t meet with him tonight. Do you want to adopt the posture that your prospect’s time is more important than your own? Isn’t your business plan, your business growth more important than any individual prospect? If the prospect can’t find another time to meet with you, can it be that important? If you’re gonna change your plan every time a prospect asks you to, why make a plan at all?

OK! Enough! Bottom line! You’re the boss. You get to say what’s important. If you agree that your plan includes 15 billable hours, 15 administrative hours, 50 prospecting calls, 3 meetings with prospects, etc., then that’s what you schedule. If you schedule your networking event for a particular time and something else wants to be scheduled at that time, should you move it if you can’t replace the event?

There are many ways to avoid cold prospecting calls but think that you’re still working.

You could mail letters.

You could design an ad.

You could call your existing customers.

You could go to a networking event.

You could get a booth at a trade show or Expo.

You could get or tweak your website, post to your blog, or do some other web stuff, but check out this post first. http://www.deborahschultz.com/deblog/2006/09/aint_technology.html

Or you could get yourself tested to find out why you don’t, won’t, can’t make the calls and what you can do about it by sending me an email. Remember Jack Nicholson saying, “….You can’t handle the truth!” Well, can you?

Check out George Patton’s quote here. Michael Cage thinks he’s talking to entrepreneurs, but it works for salespeople, too.

As I was driving to my first meeting today, I noticed 100’s of vote for ….. signs. I heard a few political ads on the radio. Then the talk master started talking politics. I turned the radio off.

Then I started thinking about politics, politicians and voters. Are politicians the most hated class? Are they all liars? Will they say anything to be elected? Do they care about what’s best for their constituents? or is it all about getting re-elected?

But seriously, aren’t they doing exactly what weak salespeople do? Bend the rules. Promise the world. Imagine if I ran for office? You want your needs met? Vote for the other guy. I’m gonna do what’s right.

What chance would I have?

Have a chuckle and move on. I’m not running for anything.

WHAT??? It’s not really an infection, Pete, but it’s a worthwhile message.

Remember the old Tarzan movies? When Tarzan needed to get a message out, he’d climb a tree and do that crazy yell. How about all those westerns? The Indians would outdo the cowboys because they could communicate with smoke signals. FDR used to have “Fireside chats”. Dear Abby and Ann Landers had their columns (That one’s for you, Mom!).

If you’re passionate about something, you probably feel the need to tell the world about it. Not everybody could yell like Tarzan (nor swing in the vines for that matter), so that never really caught on and smoke signals don’t work with the “No open fire” laws. But think about how many people have used radio to get their message out or have newspaper columns. They have a passion. They get a forum. They go.

Is it as Pete says “a natural evolution for blogging to become a tool for local business”? We’ll see. I’m reminded of a seminar that I attended in the 70’s. The speaker opposed the use of the phone to make appointments because nothing happened until you got face to face anyway. His advice was to just walk in. Although I’ve done it, I was never fond of the “walk-in cold call”. So, that tool has gone the way of Tarzan’s yell for me. In 1994, I switched my business phone number to a non-published number because I didn’t want anyone to call me unless they were referred to me by someone that knew me. So the yellow pages went the way of Tarzan’s yell for me. To me, “it’s all about the buzz”. Creating word of mouth. Writing my blog…That’s OK. Talking about your blog…That helps. Reading other blogs and commenting and linking to them….That creates the buzz! Ask Pete.

If you want to comment, feel free. If you want to be a guest blogger, use the link at the top of the page to send me an email. If you want a sales lesson today, read about Dave’s vacation.

Welcome to the blog world, Sharon Kuchenbecker! Sharon has been saving marriages, keeping employees happy, and making guys that are usually dregs appear to be thoughtful and creative for years. Her business is Express Yourself Gifts & Baskets and her blog is the BasketBiz Blog. Rumor has it that she’s having an Official Grand Opening September 14th-16th and we’re all invited! Check out the news release on her website.

Welcome to the blog world, Paul LaFlamme! I’m always amazed when someone hits it out of the park at his first at bat. I (like most of you) have a few passwords that I prefer and use regularly, but sometimes the site that I’m on requires me to use a “strong” password. What a pain in the butt! In Paul’s very first post, Paul explained a very simple way to create a “strong” password that was easy to remember! Read about it at “What’s in a Password?”. Incidentally, you can read about Paul, and his company, Centrend at http://centrend.com/index.html.

Welcome Jason Kallio! Jason is a pretty smart dude. Technically educated. Seasoned in business. Entrepreneurial, educational, and entertaining. I won’t steal any of his thunder, but Jason has agreed to be the next “guest blogger” on The RainMaker Maker. Stay tuned!

What is your backup plan? Read this story. Tell everybody you know about Troy’s bad experience at www.cafekati.com. Tell the restaurant what we’re doing….and heed the lesson!

Don the Idea Guy shares Strategies, Guidelines, and Rules of Connecting from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Black Book of Connections. Check it out on his blog here.

How do you view your customers? Click here because apparently some people out there have some really crazy ideas. I believe that my clients like me being accessible. They like me answering my phone and returning calls. Consequently, my clients are typically accessible and answer my calls. What’s more, I have most of their cell phone numbers and they have mine. It’s a mutual relationship of availability, trust, and respect.

Dane Carlson talks about the struggle that small business owners face when they try to focus on generating more business. Check out Needed: More Time.

I was reading a post about internet marketing.The post makes several good points that are applicable to sales, but it’s a long post and I’m only going to reference the quote. So, if you want to read the whole post, here’s the link.

The author quoted the FIRST of 95 theses included in the Cluetrain Manifesto. “Markets are conversations.” The author explains, “…..real communications between individual consumers, and supplanting the artificial communication created by marketing departments and agencies.”

He’s talking about blogging, chatting and other two way social networking tools.

I’m talking about using our two ears and one mouth in that proportion. I’m talking about asking good questions that the prospect cares about. I’m talking about having converstions, not delivering monologues.

Jim Hassett asks the comment, “…the most interesting thing about client satisfaction is how bad lawyers are at estimating it.”

He also gives a few other examples of the inaccuracies of self-rating. I.E. –

Most people report that they are smarter and better looking than average.

In one study, 90% of business managers rated their performance as above average.

In another, 86% percent of workers said they were above average, and only 1% thought they were below average.

Most drivers say they are safer and more highly skilled than average, even if they have been involved in accidents that led to hospitalization.

Most college students think they will live about 10 years longer than actuarial tables predict.

When the College Entrance Examination Board asked 829,000 high school seniors to rate themselves on the desirable characteristic of “ability to get along with others.” 0% said they were below average, 60% thought they were in the top 10%, and 25% ranked themselves in the top 1%.

Finally, he brings it home with the results of another survey. “52% of lawyers rated their client relationships as an A, but only 21% of their clients agreed. Similarly, 68% of lawyers said that the general level of legal service has improved over the last five years, but only 32% of clients agreed.”

So, the question for you is: “How do your clients (or customers) rate you for client (or customer) satisfaction?” Notice that I didn’t ask how you think you rate. because it doesn’t matter. (I also didn’t ask you how smart you think you are or how good looking you think you are.)

Update: Dave’s back and chimes in here.

Do you know anyone who has had a nightmare contractor experience? Maybe yourself, a friend, relative or neighbor? Since 2001 according to statistics provided by the Federal Trade Commission and various consumer protection groups home improvement contractors and the remodeling industry are responsible for the most complaints from consumers. Home improvement contractors are responsible for more complaints than used car salesman and mortgage brokers.
In a recent survey by Qualified Remodeler Magazine hundreds of homeowners surveyed said that they would never refer or use their contractor again. The most common complaints were poor communication, poor craftsmanship, delayed projects, dirty jobs, unmet expectations.
Can you blame the homeowner for not trusting the contractor? Of course not.

I have been a Design/build remodeling expert for 15 years and I have lost count of the amount of homeowners I met who have been the victim of a poor contracting job. As I prepare to launch my own blog I am astounded by the amount of ill will consumers have toward contractors. It seems almost every week there is another contractor night mare story in the newspaper or on the news.

How can this change?
How can homeowners protect themselves?
Why are contractors so poor at servicing the consumer?
Why are our elected officials allowing this to go on?
What are contractors doing about it?
What questions should a homeowner ask before hiring a contractor?

The Stigma of the industry

When I meet a homeowner who has been referred I usually have no trouble gaining their trust and confidence. However, when I meet a homeowner who does not know me through referral I find that I have to overcome the stigma of the poor performance of my industry before I can professionally service the customer. There are fine reputable contractors who have to bear the sins of the fly by night outfits. Many times homeowners are so guarded that their distrust of contractors in general causes the good contractor to lose interest in their job.
When this happens homeowners end up with the less quality outfit. This leads to more bad contractor experiences.
Industry experts state that 90% of contracting businesses fail in the first five years. The reasons are many but it is clear that homeowners are at a distinct disadvantage when hiring a contractor. Only one in 10 contracting businesses make it. So how do you prevent a contractor night mare?

These are the topics I will talk about on my coming blog. I believe that the home improvement industry must do better by educating their employees to treat homeowners properly. I believe in 100% customer satisfaction.
Contractors must become better sales people and listen and serve the customer.
The customer was not born with a construction manual in his or her head so the contractor must educate the homeowner. An educated and properly informed consumer will gladly hire the professional contractor. Education is the key to a healthier relationship between homeowners and contractors. Once contractors adopt a 100% customer satisfaction attitude then they will see less complaints against the home improvement industry and then used car salesman can regain their position as the most complained about industry again!

I welcome and encourage any feedback regarding this post. If you have an idea or topic you would like to discuss please repond to this message. 

Also I would like to thank Rick again for the opportunity to share on this blog.

  
Mark Paskell

ps. please comment and rate the above post 

UPDATE: I’m pleased to write that Mark has indeed started his own blog. You can find him at http://www.howtohireacontractor.net/. Good luck, Mark. I’ll be reading.