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 contactCreate conversations with prospects, referral sources, and clients using the telephone, email, and mailUncover the real need behind client challengesMake the case for improved business impact and return on investment (ROI) for your prospectsUnderstand and communicate your value propositionApply the 16 principles of influence in salesOvercome and prevent all types of objections, including moneyCraft 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.

MIKE SCHULTZ is Co-President of RAIN Group and a world-renowned consultant and expert in sales train-ing and performance improvement. He is publisher of RAIN Groups RainToday.com, one of the worlds largest online magazines (over 100,000 subscribers) and member- ship sites for sales and marketing. He is also on the faculty in the Marketing Division at Babson College and writes at www.raingroup.com/blog and on Twitter at @Mike_Schultz.

JOHN E. DOERR is Co-President of RAIN Group and consults, speaks, writes, and teaches on the subjects of selling and sales performance. His own rainmaking conversations have helped lead RAIN Group to Inc. magazines list of the fastest growing companies in the United States. Find him on Twitter at @JohnEDoerr.

Acknowledgments ix

Part One Getting Ready to Make RAIN 1

1 Introduction 3

2 The Most Important Conversation Youll 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