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Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating and thought-provoking book
Review: As a business developer in the IT services industry, I can recommend this book wholeheartedly. It is by far the best, most coherent book on the subject I've found anywhere. Ford Harding has only managed to do even better than his first book, "Rain Making -- The Professional's Guide to Attracting New Clients" (a book I picked up back in 1996 when I first started out in the discipline, and which I have re-read again since purchasing Harding's lastest work). This book does much to dispell many of the buiness development myths or common fatal mistakes perpetuated by many sales and marketing managers. Most businesses approach account development either by the seat of their pants, if at all, or they place all their eggs in one basket, building heightened, unrealistic expectations from that all-important, one-shot-take-all telemarketing or direct mail campaign. A common mistake I have witnessed firms making is that they don't treat business development and lead generation as an ongoing, continuous system -- a plan, a network, a philosophy. By revealing business development as a system, Ford Harding's "Creating Rainmakers" helps to shine a big light on a big problem in today's world of business marketing, especially in the profesional services disciplines. This book clearly outlines all the many components of a comprehensive, ongoing system for continuous lead generation, beyond mere "networking." The service sector, particularly hi-tech services, continues to thrive and grow as a vital part of our "knowledge economy." And business development, or effective Rainmaking, will only become more critical as we enter the 21st century.
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Summary: Rainmakers function better in a forest
Review: By thinking of Rainmakers as separate from the organization, the firm severely limits its potential and actual benefits from the rainmaker's efforts. This book is valuable for training potential rainmakers, but probably more useful in helping the firm to understand what the rainmaker is doing, why and how they can help. By focusing the energy of the firm on rainmaking, a much more powerful force will be generated to serve existing clients and encourage new business. This book provides a good basis for creating this new synergy for the firm.
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Summary: Who doesn't need a little rain?
Review: I am the author of the book Futures For Small Speculators and Single Stock Futures For Small Speculators as well as the president of Liverpoolgroup.com. Our focus is in the futures, commodities, and option business. We trade oil, cattle, gold, currency etc. And each one of our employees is an "independent" contractor. The problem with that is the fact that often times this very independent entrepreneurial group has a hard time working together to develop client relationships. Everyone is competing against everyone else. There is little to no synergy or teamwork. This book showed me MANY examples of how to guide and direct the individuals of the group to be more cooperative with one another and how to help them make more money. I was astonished that I was doing somethings right, but the things that I was doing right were being negated by the actions I was doing wrong. Over and over again Mr.Harding says that rainmakers get in their own way when it comes to training other potential rainmakers and he is right! If I had not read this book I would have lost some valuable members of my team due defection. This is a great book and was a joy to read. One reading is not enough. This book must be read three to four times with a highlighter and a notepad- so you can write down the numerous ideas that will occur to you as you read the book. Then keep this book as a reference that you can go back to time and time again.
Rating:
Summary: A bible for the training of business development staff.
Review: I used this book in the planning of a training program for business development activities at the engineering/surveying firm, Psomas and Associates. We needed a training program for every level of staff from principals to marketing support staff. This book was amazing! It made the job sooooooo much easier! The information in this book was nothing short of inspiring and the success we are having in the program is testimony to the quality of the ideas and programs described in the book. I recommend it very, very highly!
Rating:
Summary: The ONE Guide to Read
Review: Of all the books available on business development in the professions, this is the best of the best. Concise, practical yet never simplistic, Ford Harding hits the strategic issues of business development, then ties the issues to solid implementable actions. As an advisor to CPA and law firms, I consider this book to be the "course textbook" for learning the subject matter quickly. Professionals don't have time for volumes of thick how-to manuals. Give it to them straight and quickly. This book does that. Every page unlocks another important concept in business development. When finished the reader not only knows the subject, but knows what to do next. Instead of throwing the book in a cabinet, it should be kept in a handy place, and as the professional becomes more experienced, it can take him/her to the next level of understanding, and to the highest reaches of successful rainmaking. A must read for any professional who wants to grow their practice.
Rating:
Summary: The ONE Guide to Read
Review: Of all the books available on business development in the professions, this is the best of the best. Concise, practical yet never simplistic, Ford Harding hits the strategic issues of business development, then ties the issues to solid implementable actions. As an advisor to CPA and law firms, I consider this book to be the "course textbook" for learning the subject matter quickly. Professionals don't have time for volumes of thick how-to manuals. Give it to them straight and quickly. This book does that. Every page unlocks another important concept in business development. When finished the reader not only knows the subject, but knows what to do next. Instead of throwing the book in a cabinet, it should be kept in a handy place, and as the professional becomes more experienced, it can take him/her to the next level of understanding, and to the highest reaches of successful rainmaking. A must read for any professional who wants to grow their practice.
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