How I became a rainmaker ...of sorts

Apparently in today's world, there is no path to partnership in a professional services firm unless you can bring in new business. Clients and sales is where it's at. Nothing new there. It was exactly the same when I began work back in 1988 (yes, you read that right, 1988.)

At the time, from what I could gather, being good at sales and business development meant being able to talk about football on a Monday morning and being able to play golf. In fact, there were women ahead of me who took it upon themselves to become season ticket holders at a football club and learned to play golf. I did neither.

I also made zero sales and brought in no new clients in my whole career with Arthur Andersen. And whilst I did make partner (not sure how), it didn't last long because the firm collapsed under the weight of the Enron scandal, before I could be found out. Not the most auspicious start for someone setting up their own business, when sales and client development are pretty crucial.

From a poor start to rather spectacular results

So, with that abysmal track record, how come, for a business that only incorporated in March last year, we have almost twenty blue chip clients, including some of the most prestigious City law firms. How, from a standing start, have we managed to place more than 25 women into roles at those firms. What did it take to persuade both firms and candidates alike to place their trust in the Reignite Academy - an organisation that simply did not exist two years ago.

Could it be that I miraculously developed those all important rainmaker skills? (Spoiler alert: not quite).

Rainmaker or Influencer

What on earth is a rainmaker anyway? I googled it and found this definition:

A rainmaker is any person who brings clients, money, business, or even intangible prestige to an organization based solely on his or her associations and contacts.

Yuck. Can't say I find that definition very aspirational. It leaves me rather cold, to be honest.

The same google search led me to lots of lists of top rainmakers, 95% of whom were men. It didn't tell me whether they played golf and watched football, but I suspect many did. (Although I have to say golf seems to now be eschewed in favour of cycling. All those men in lycra have day jobs as senior executives in the City. Cycling is the new golf.)

If the thought of being a rainmaker leaves me cold, what, I wondered, might be a more compelling goal? Being an influencer? Here's the dictionary definition:

One who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.

Assuming that influence could extend to persuading new clients to join the fold, selling projects or persuading candidates to put their trust in you to represent them, I think I'll go with how I built a business through being an Influencer rather than a Rainmaker.

Influencer, Rainmaker, some key concepts you need to know

Whatever term you choose, the ultimate goal is to attract clients and make sales. Here are the keys to success.

Be a known expert

You have to stand out from the crowd. People need to come to you because you know something they don't and you can help with a problem they have. However, being an expert is of little use to others unless they know you're there.

No point having all that knowledge and keeping it to yourself. So how do you go about creating a name for yourself? Share a little of what you know. Write articles, speak at conferences, appear on panels. Yes, in a way it's giving away your expertise for free and you definitely need to take care with that (read "No you can't pick my brain it cost too much") but judiciously chosen, well targeted activity can lift your profile immensely.

Why do you think I'm here on LinkedIn?

Help people

Make direct connections to people you may be able to help and support. Helping people is the key to building your network. Too often, people make the mistake of thinking that networking is all about identifying who can help you, when in fact it's the other way round. At Reignite, our first conversation often begins when someone wants to talk to us about the problems they have finding or retaining female talent. We're always happy to help and that first conversation rarely earns a dime.

Find your tribe

The Reignite Academy only works because we began as a trio. Myself, Stephanie Dillon and Melinda Wallman, my co-founders all had a shared passion - to make working lives better for women - and complementary expertise. Complex business problems are rarely one dimensional. My hunch is that most people will fare better when going to market as a team.

Think about finding people who share your interests but come at them from a different angle. Melinda, Stephanie and I met through various Diversity forums, both online and in real life. It took three years for us to figure out how to go to market together. Be patient and be prepared to explore.

Take risks

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. In order to create a market for yourself, you sometimes have to be prepared to take risks, to be the one who has tried something different, and, as a result, has something interesting to say.

Get out more

The biggest single mistake you can make is to assume that someone will notice how good you are and somehow, miraculously find you. Get out more. Make direct connections with people you find interesting and with whom you'd like to work. LinkedIn is your friend here as it enables you to bypass gatekeepers. Join groups, both online and in real life. Be strategic and have focus to your efforts.

People buy people. Help them get to know you and vice versa.

You have to want it

Looking back at my not so illustrious career as a management consultant and my appalling sales record, I think the problem was (well, one of the many problems was ...) that I didn't really want it. Yes, everyone said sales and business development were the key to progression but I'm not sure I ever really believed what we were selling or had that much ambition to progress. What ambition I had was all about keeping up with my peers, which can only get you so far.

At the Reignite Academy, I'm excited about how our work can make a difference to people's lives and am totally invested in building the business because of that.

One last word.

Authenticity. It's key. If you don't believe what you're selling, if you don't care about your clients, if you're not invested in the outcomes, it will come through, however fancy your presentation or polished your pitch. Be authentic and your passion and commitment will speak for themselves.