Description
Conversations make or break everything in sales. Every conversation you have is an opportunity to find new prospects, win new customers, and increase sales. Rainmaking Conversations provides a proven system for leading masterful conversations that fill the pipeline, secure new deals, and maximize the potential of your account.
Rainmaking Conversations offers a research-based, field-tested, and practical selling approach that will help you master the art of the sales conversation. This proven system revolves around the acronym RAIN, which stands for Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. You'll learn how to ask your prospects and clients the right questions, and help them set the agenda for success.
Armed with the knowledge of the markets you serve, the common needs of prospects, and how your products and services can help, you can become a trusted advisor to your clients during and after the sale. With the RAIN system, you'll be able to:
- Build rapport and trust from the first contact
- Create conversations with prospects, referral sources, and clients using the telephone, email, and mail
- Uncover the real need behind client challenges
- Make the case for improved business impact and return on investment (ROI) for your prospects
- Understand and communicate your value proposition
- Apply the 16 principles of influence in sales
- Overcome and prevent all types of objections, including money
- Craft profitable solutions and close the deal
The world-class RAIN SellingSM methodology has helped tens of thousands of people lead powerful sales conversations and achieve breakthrough sales performance. Start bridging the gap between "hello" and profitable relationships today.
Table of Contents
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
