How to Win Client Business When You Don’t Know Where to Start: A Rainmaking Guide for Consulting and Professional Services

Cover
Table of Contents
More Praise for How to Win Client Business When You Don’t Know Where to Start
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction
If I'm So Smart, Why Do I Feel So Stupid about Selling?
    CHAPTER 1: Things Rainmakers Do That Most of Us Don't: The Five Rainmaker Skills
        What Is a Rainmaker?
        Why Do I Feel So Stupid About Selling?
        The Five Rainmaker Skills, the Focus of This Book
        Moving Forward with the Five Rainmaker Skills
        References
    CHAPTER 2: How Clients Buy
        The Seven Elements of the Client's Buying Decision Journey
        Understanding Client Risk
        It's Not a Long Sales Cycle, It's a Long Buy Cycle 
        References
    CHAPTER 3: Where Clients Come From
        The Seven Most Common Client Pathways
        Where Clients Come From: The Seven Client Pathways
        Connecting the Dots
        References
    CHAPTER 4: Rainmaking for Introverts and People Who Don't Want to Sell
        The Rainmaker Mindset
        Lessons from Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director at McKinsey & Company
        References
The Five Skills We Must Learn If We Want to Become a Rainmaker
    Skill 1: Create Your Personal Brand Identity
        CHAPTER 5: Decide What You Want to Be Known for and Who You Wish to Serve
            The Birth of Personal Branding
            Stupid Choices!
            Society's Hall Pass
            References
        CHAPTER 6: The Power of Focus
            If You're Not in the Client's Top Three, You're Not Going to Be Hired
            Filling an Empty Slot in the Client's Mind
            References
        CHAPTER 7: Choosing Your Specialty
            Terry Pappy's Success Story: Carve a Niche, Then Carve a Niche within a Niche
            Bill Stoddart's Success Story: Knowing What You Believe In
            Three Ways of Defining Your Personal Brand Identity: Functional Expertise, Target Audience, and Geographic Focus
            Finding Your Unique Combination of These Three
            References
        CHAPTER 8: You Can't Sell Beyond Your Credibility Zone
            The Story's Beginning
            The Story's Middle
            The Story's Ending
            The Lessons of the Story
            A Seat at the Table
            References
    Skill 2: Demonstrate Your Professional Expertise
        CHAPTER 9: How Clients Tell Who the Real Experts Are
            Clients Seek to Avoid Regret
            How We Can Help Clients Avoid Anticipated Regret
            Unlearning the Mental Hang‐up We Have with Talking about Ourselves
            Choosing Your Credibility Markers
            References
        CHAPTER 10: How to Toot Your Own Horn without Looking Like a Jerk
            Technique 1: Writing
            Technique 2: Public Speaking
            Technique 3: University Teaching
            Technique 4: Radio Programs and Podcasts
            Technique 5: Serving on a Board of Directors
            Technique 6: High‐Profile Work and Case Studies
            Technique 7: Industry Awards
            Technique 8: Professional Certifications
            Choosing Where to Focus Your Energy
            References
        CHAPTER 11: Using LinkedIn to Build Your Credibility
            Master Digital Marketing at Oxford
            What Is the Internet Good For?
            LinkedIn Is a Powerful Enabler, But It Won't Do the Heavy Lifting for Us
            Don't Turn into Human Spam
            The Power of Sharing and Connecting
            References
    Skill 3: Build Your Professional Ecosystem
        CHAPTER 12: The Two Hundred People You Need to Know
            Genuine Relationships, Not LinkedIn Connections
            What's the Difference between Your Ecosystem and Network?
            Why Your Ecosystem Matters: Revisiting the Seven Client Pathways
            The Makeup of Your Professional Ecosystem
            The Double Helix of Your Ecosystem and Trust
            References
        CHAPTER 13: Does Cold‐Calling Work? And What to Do if It Doesn't
            Remember What Mom Said: Don't Talk to Strangers
            Making Friends on the Playground
            Making Friends with Your Two Hundred People
            When Cold‐Calling Works Best
            Cold‐Calling and Making Friends
            References
        CHAPTER 14: Making Friends in a Natural Way
            Warm Prospecting: Leveraging Your Relationships to Make New Friends
            Nobody Likes Human Spam
            How to Get an Introduction without Seeming Pushy
            References
        CHAPTER 15: I Can't See the Forest for the Trees
            The Tree Farm Analogy
            Caring for Your Professional Ecosystem
            References
        CHAPTER 16: Why Advertising Doesn't Work for Us
            Recognizing the Limits of Advertising
            A Better Way: Building Relationships
            References
    Skill 4: Develop Trust-Based Relationships
        CHAPTER 17: What Is Trust and Where Does It Come From?
            Recognizing Authentic Likeability
            Where Trust Comes From
            Advice from a Seasoned Relationship Builder
            References
        CHAPTER 18: Conversation Skills for Introverts (and the Rest of Us, Too)
            Finding Common Ground through Small Talk
            Building Common Ground over Time
            References
        CHAPTER 19: The Art of Keeping in Touch
            Finding Opportunities to Be Thoughtful and Helpful
            Caring and Empathy Matter
            References
        CHAPTER 20: Transparency Is Good, Right?
            Why Undersharing Is a Path to Irrelevancy
            How Much Is Too Much?
            Finding the Balance
            References
    Skill 5: Practice Everyday Success Habits
        CHAPTER 21: The Daily Habits of Successful Rainmakers
            The Roller Coaster of Revenue
            Practicing the Rainmaker Skills Every Day
            The Most Important Hour of Your Day
            References
        CHAPTER 22: Making the Rainmaker Skills Stick
            Building the Rainmaker Skills into Our Daily Lives
            References
        CHAPTER 23: Finding Your Rainmaker M.O.
            The Modus Operandi
            A More Modern M.O.
            The Middle Ground
            Finding Your M.O.
            Rainmaker M.O. Best Practices
            References
The Rainmaker's Journey
    CHAPTER 24: Thoughts on Becoming a Rainmaker
        What We Can Learn from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones
        Becoming a Rainmaker Is Not a Structured 10‐Step Program
        References
    CHAPTER 25: Finding the Work That You Love
        Do You Enjoy Your Work?
        Enthusiasm for Our Work Is Key to Our Success
        Keep Exploring Until You Find Your Calling
        Respect, Trust, Likeability, and Enthusiasm
        References
    CHAPTER 26: A High Road with a Long View
        On Patience
        On Persistence
        The Rainmaker Mindset
        References
Appendix A: The Rainmaker Skills Self‐Test: What Are My Rainmaker Strengths and Weaknesses?
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement