Product Description

This is a classic book on sales aimed at non-sales professionals.In today's knowledge economy, people may be hired for their technical or creative abilities. However, their promotion track still depends on their ability to sell themselves, their organisations, and develop new business. The guide is separated into three major parts: how to generate leads, how to convert leads into new business, and how to assemble tactics into strategies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41299 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

About the Author
Ford Harding is the president of Harding & Company, a consulting firm that trains and develops professional to win new clients. His articles have been published in periodicals such as Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal.

Customer Reviews

Packed with Knowledge!
Every professional service provider or consultant should own this handy marketing guide. Concise and smoothly written, it delivers essential information without beating around the bush or leaving out anything important. Once it is on your shelf, don’t let it gather dust. From strategic advice on which marketing method may work for you to concrete help on presentations, fee-setting and client relationships, this is packed with utility. Many professionals neglect marketing because the time spent at it isn’t directly “billable.” Of course, that’s like a farmer neglecting planting, because it isn’t harvesting. The book is thorough, if not particularly innovative, and it does get a bit rah-rah at times, but those are minor quibbles. We recommend this practical, complete and essential set of instructions on how to generate clients for your professional service practice.

Full of Practical Wisdom
What is a rainmaker?

Rainmakers have the ability to gain access to decision makers while they have high concern about confidentiality and are still in the process of formulating their needs around specific problems.

This access means knowing key people so well, they feel comfortable confiding in you.

One has to be a good sales professional to be an effective Rainmaker. But one need not be a Rainmaker to be an effective sales professional. Sales and Rainmaking are not necessarily the same thing, even though both contribute to the revenue side of the accounting equation.

At Stybel Peabody, we value this book so highly we use it as the basic text in our work with professional service providers who seek to develop rainmaking skills.

The title of this book, however, is somewhat misleading.

Ford Harding has written a first rate "how to" book on attracting new clients via all kinds of sales and marketing techniques. Rainmaking is only one of those ! ! techniques.

One of the book's strengths is that Ford Harding doesn't "preach." He talks about his own failures as well as his successes. Harding integrates his own experiences with survey research he has done with practitioners. Finally, his approach is contingency-based. By contingency, we mean that he provides readers with descriptions of different client development techniques available and some frameworks when tech technique is appropriate or inappropriate.

We'll be surprised if you don't get at least three good, useful ideas from this book.

Laurence J. Stybel and Maryanne Peabody STYBEL PEABODY & ASSOCIATESEND

Excellent for any professional who wants to develop more business
This book has changed my viewpoint and has boosted my respect for a good salesman in the professional services industry. Its is full of excellent and practical tips covering the full spectrum of building reputation, lead generation, networking and how to turn leads into a closed sell. As a professional taking on more responsibilities to develop and grow our business, "Rain making" is a reference book I will keep close at hand.