rainmaking skills

Rainmaking SkillsNon-manipulative skills for Zintro experts

Dr. John Brennan

Webinar Objectives

Apply Rainmaking strategies

and skills to develop new

business

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How Your ClientManages Consultant Relationships

Partner

Problem Solver

Preferred Supplier

Supplier

Unknown Bidder

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Rainmaking Process

ProspectingQualifying

And Assessing

Preparing a Proposal

Presenting and Closing

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Sources of Prospects

REFERRALS

Your web site

Networking

Blog or newsletter

Webinars

Speaking

Directories

LinkedIn

Cold calling5

Finding Prospects

Identify Top 10 prospects in your market

Ask for referrals

Use LinkedIn “Introduction” email

Objective: qualify them and get the

appointment

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Prospecting

Enter 100%

Pursue 30%

Close 70%

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Rainmaking Process

ProspectingQualifying

And Assessing

Preparing a Proposal

Presenting and Closing

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Rapport Building Techniques

Smile

State your meeting objective

Use your client’s name early and often

Use simple and familiar words

Make eye contact

Shake hands

Find areas of mutual interest

Be sensitive to client’s culture

Show genuine interest in your client

Be a real person, not a role.

Break the ice with laughter.

Be polite and respectful

Have a positive attitude

Avoid politics, religion or sex

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Research Prospect’s Background

Mission and strategy

Relevant department’s goals and key result areas

Current economic state

Major challenges/obstacles

Organization structure

Names, titles & phone numbers of key stakeholders

Their perceptions of your firm

Most pressing and immediate needs

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Qualifying

Qualifying your prospects means determining if they

are worth pursuing.

Qualified prospects are MAD (Money, Authority,

Desire)

Listening and Probing are key skills in qualifying

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Business Needs and Priorities

Make money/save money

Increase productivity/save time

Avoid Pain: VUCA

Create, enhance or re-engineer the

prospect’s vision

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Emotional Needs

Self Actualization

Recognition

Growth Opportunities

Inclusion

Roof over head, Food on the table

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Uncover Client Needs

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Benefits of Listening to Client Needs

They feel positively disposed towards you.

They will tell you all that you need to know to win

their confidence.

Shows respect and caring

Increases the clients’ expectations that you will

deliver a project that addresses their needs.

Perceived as a gift - of your time and attention

More likely to listen to you.

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Adjust your Attitude and Listen Better

Put yourself in your clients’ shoes

Focus your mind on what the client is saying.

Shut out distractions.

Listen for the whole story

Turn off your own worries

React to ideas … not the people … don’t argue mentally

Don’t allow your irritation at the client’s social style to distract you

Don’t jump to conclusions

Check your ego at the door16

Probing for Client Needs

Probe for:

Facts and feelings.

Gain or pain

Verbal and non-verbal communication

Hidden information

Use:

Open probes to get information

Closed probes to gain agreements

Follow-up probes to elaborate or clarify word choices, jargon, etc.

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Rainmaking Process

ProspectingQualifying

And Assessing

Preparing a Proposal

Presenting and Closing

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Value Proposition

Good value propositions promise to:

Quantify anticipated improvements

State the payback period—the return on investment (ROI)

Specify how results will be measured and tracked

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Differentiator

Compare features and benefits of your

approach against those of the competition

What differentiates you from the competition?

Why it is of value to your client.

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Clients Buy Benefits

Features

Advantage

Benefits

WIIFM

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Standard Presentation Format

Task Objectives Relationship

Objectives

Introduction Define problem

State meeting

objective as a benefit

Grab their attention

Establish rapport

Body Sell your solution

Key Point #1,

benefits, features,

proof and stories

Keep them engaged

Conclusion Summary Call for Action!

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Rainmaking Process

ProspectingQualifying

And Assessing

Preparing a Proposal

Presenting and Closing

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Elements of a Persuasive Presentation

Collaborate with your client on your presentation.

Open with a tailored value proposition

Differentiate your message

Link client’s business and emotional needs to your approach/solution

Show benefits of each step in your approach

Show “proof” that your approach works

Use color, visuals, and multi-media

Close with a request for action

Rehearse 7 times

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Managing Objections

1. Listen without getting defensive

2. Probe the objection

3. Confirm it’s the real objection

4. “Feel, Felt, Found”

5. Close

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Buying Signals

Asking for details of installation,

delivery, customer service

Objections

Touching your product/proposal

A change in body language

Shift from “you” to “us”

May occur anytime during the

call

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Gaining Client Agreements

Build up to the big “Yes”

Earn the right to ask the client to agree to

move ahead.

Create a sense of urgency and momentum

Drive presentation to a commitment to next

steps

Respond immediately to Buying Signals

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Summary

Rainmaking is a process of matching Client needs

and your benefits

Qualifying your prospects means determining if they

are worth pursuing.

Qualified prospects are MAD

Rapport building, listening and probing are key skills

in qualifying

Clients buy benefits

Objections are requests for information

Close when you see buying signals28

Contact Information

Dr. John Brennan

Interpersonal Development

Rochester, NY

1-585-230-5765

John@interpersonaldevelopment.com

www.interpersonaldevelopment.com

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