Does your business need an energy boost? Are you coasting along but not making any real money? Then it may be time to hire a rainmaker.
What is a rainmaker?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a rainmaker is a person who generates income for a business or organization by brokering deals or attracting clients or funds. This person is always working hard to be the best and expects to be paid very well for their services.
A rainmaker has the following common traits:
A: They know who their customers are
This is not a superficial knowledge of their clients but an in-depth knowledge of their clients and how they will react to different pitches. They will never give the same pitch to different customers. Each pitch will be specifically designed towards the client.
B: They are aware of their weakness
Rainmakers are very self-aware and know how to circumnavigate their shortcomings. They are always working to improve their shortcomings and will delegate these if needs be.
C: They are driven
They don’t wait for people to instruct them on what to do. They are consistently working towards being the best in their industry.
D: They build genuine relationships with their customers
Rainmakers don’t just see customers as the next big sale but they view them as long-term investments. They get to know the customer and their pain points and then offer solutions for these pain points. By doing it this way they ensure that the customer will be loyal.
E: They are goal setters
They will never go into a pitch without a goal for the meeting. It doesn’t always have to be monetary goals either but they will work towards creating a life they enjoy living.
Here are some points to remember when hiring a rainmaker:
- Know who want to hire. It is important to clearly define who your target employee will be for your business. This will help you to easily identify the candidate when you see and hear them fulfilling your candidate wish list.
- Have a clearly defined job description. You need to make sure that you clearly identify the hard and soft skills needed for the position. You should also clearly state the responsibilities and education need for the role in your company.
- Build trust with the candidate. Rainmakers are very aware of what is going on around them and they believe in building up trust with their potential new employees. Therefore, it is imperative that you stick to your promises. You must communicate clearly and timeously with the candidate even when there is a hiccup in the interviewing process. If you don’t do this then the trust factor will be diminished and you could lose your rainmaker.
- Expose them to your top employees. Rainmakers like to be surrounded by people who will challenge them to be better. Therefore, it is important to surround them with your top employees during the interview process. This will show them who they will be working alongside.
- Offer them a good package. Though many rainmakers are motivated by earning good money. They also want to have the freedom to take calculated risks. It is important to give them the freedom to do the work they need to do to bring in the best clients for your business.
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