This is the first in a series by Alan Weiss on the traits and competencies of the "rainmakers" who acquire business for consulting firms, large and small. Alan Weiss is the author of the best-selling Million Dollar Consulting, and is the featured presenter of our "Best Practices in Consulting" seminar series as well as an editor of our "What Working in Consulting" newsletter.

Let’s get something straight right from the outset: People who acquire business are much more valuable than people who deliver business, simply because the skills of the former are in far scarcer supply than the latter. I’ve mentored scores of consulting firm principals who can’t understand why there are such demands on their cash flow, until they’re enlightened to the fact that they are supporting an entire staff of deliverers with nary a rainmaker in sight.

It’s tough to make rain. It’s easy to buy umbrellas.

Sometimes you can find people with a dual set of skills. They can acquire business as well as deliver it. In fact, almost any highly successful solo practitioner has these two skills. He or she must find the business and implement it. But the combination isn’t common, which is why there are so few highly successful solo practitioners, and why so many small and medium-sized firms are straining to support their overhead. (As an aside, classic training firms have long suffered from the same malady. In their case, the product development and classroom trainers hold themselves aloof from the daily grime of the sales force, which was considered mercenary. Ironically, that sales force was really supporting all their salaries.)

Rainmakers as a rule possess the following characteristics:

o A combination of assertiveness and persuasiveness. These are people with strong interpersonal (social initiating) skills who can develop trusting relationships. However, they never put the relationship ahead of the business goal. They are not afraid to ask for the order at the right time. They will never seek to preserve a relationship at the cost of asking for the order.

o Intellectual breadth. They are good on their feet. They can talk about the latest plunge of the Dow, or the current assault on the home run record, or the ramifications of impeachment. They are well-rounded personalities who can adapt to their buyers’ predispositions. They can get down to business immediately or nurture someone in their comfort zone.

o Perspective and clear boundaries. Rainmakers don’t take rejection personally, but realize when it is time to fold their hand and move on. The don’t allow ego to dictate business opportunities, and they intuitively can tell good business (ability to pay, congruent values, reasonable expectations) from bad business (illegitimate objectives, shaky finances, questionable values).

o Rapid framing of concerns. Although they may not be the implementers, rainmakers can quickly, astutely, and accurately frame issues, so that the prospect says, "That’s exactly what the problem is," or, "You’ve stated it better than I could have," or, "We’ve never looked at it that way before, but you’re right." They help the client arrive at conclusions the client can readily embrace and commit to more quickly than the client might have on his or her own.

Rainmakers are hard to find and easy to lose. But while you have them, they are the keys to the dramatic growth of any consulting firm. To pretend that this business is solely about methodology, implementation, and technology is to relegate your firm to limited growth.

Sidebar #1:

How to interview and hire a potential rainmaker:

o Use behavioral interviewing. If you don’t know how, find someone who does. True rainmakers are glib and can answer the "normal" interviewing questions too easily for a thorough assessment to result.

o See them three or four times, in different circumstances. Don’t allow them to be too comfortable.

o Ask for references from former clients, not just former employers.

o Don’t be offended if they disagree with your points or premises. That’s exactly what they’ll do to help convince a prospect that they have what’s needed (and what the prospect hasn’t used before).

o Do make sure that your belief systems, compensation systems, and other reward systems are compatible.

o Use a high pay-for-performance ratio. Don’t worry about their getting rich because, if they are, so are you. Any firm that limits the income of top sales people is a firm that delimits its own growth through the ego of the owners.

Sidebar #2:

The best kind of compensation for a rainmaker is a competitive base accompanied by an uncapped incentive connected to volume of new business, not repeat business. I’ve actually seen consulting organizations hand over existing accounts, which would continue to provide revenue no matter what the case, and lower their margins by paying commissions to newcomers on that repeat business.

In smaller firms, it’s not unreasonable to offer small equity positions if you intend to keep a high performer for the long term.