Making Rain: The Secrets of Building Lifelong Client Loyalty
Author: Andrew Sobel
List Price: $27.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0471264598
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (15 January, 2003)
Sales Rank: 9,427
Average Customer Rating: 4.43 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Practical and refreshing
There are very few worthwhile books about building client relationships, and this is definitely one of them. Sobel's main focus is how you de-commoditize yourself in increasingly competitive service markets. What I like is that he doesn't pretend to offer a grand strategy or one-size-fits-all prescription, but rather a series of thoughtful ideas for distinguishing yourself from the pack. These include thinking holistically about your "relationship capital"; the seven attributes of client advisors; the mindset of "independent wealth"; and some interesting history about great client advisors. The case studies/anecdotes are educational and often funny, and the writing is excellent. The chapters are short and easy to read.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Very boastful title; little new substance
While Mr. Sobe's premise is interesting -- client relationships are developed through the sequence: expert-inner circle-trusted advisor; his approach to following that path is filled with clichés (e.g. client loyalty = value + trust + going the extra mile) and generic terms (e.g. becoming an expert requires you to: (1) do it faster; (2) do it better; (3) be different; (3) be better prepared ...). He continuously uses terms such as trust, integrity, rapport, but fails to put them together into coherent algorithms or work programs to allow the reader to understand how to work through the author's "expert-inner circle-trusted advisor" paradigm. Nothing new here.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Much-needed guidance
I just received this book and I've already read some of the chapters twice. Making Rain is full of practical ideas for how to increase your effectiveness at building client relationships and keeping clients for life. Sobel's concepts are fresh and highly original, and they are supported by client interviews, contemporary anecdotes, and fascinating historical profiles of people like Ben Franklin, who used humor to disarm and influence both his friends and adversaries. In my own business I've worked with clients for many years, and virtually everything in this book rings true for me. What's particularly valuable is the "how to" and the detailed ideas and strategies that Sobel sets out. Making Rain is well-written, easy to read, and quite funny in places. Anyone in business could pick up a handful of powerful tips on improving client retention from this book (one of the last chapters is "Managing Clients in Uncertain Times," which has a lot of useful reminders in it). If you work with either individual or corporate clients, Making Rain provides much-needed guidance. Similar Products
The Trusted Advisor
Rain Making: The Professional's Guide to Attracting New Clients
Creating Rainmakers : The Manager's Guide To Training Professionals To Attract New Clients
Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert-for-Hire to an Extraordinary Adviser
Managing The Professional Service Firm
Book Index