Overreliance on Few Rainmakers
By Adam
Radzik
Consultant to Professional Firms
It’s an all too familiar story. A few rainmakers bring in a great preponderance of the firm’s business and unwittingly the firm develops a dependency that their superstars will continue their stellar run forever. The problem is that no one can produce one big matter after the next without end. No composer can produce one hit musical after the next. No writer can produce one bestseller after the other. No corporation can have one wildly profitable year one after the next. It is just not possible and it is not the way of the world. The world works in  cycles. The world ebbs and flows. The world is a seesaw. One day you’re up and the next day you’re down. Firms that base their survival on the dramatic successes of a few rainmakers, inevitably dive into an abyss when the magicians can no longer pull the rabbits out of their hats. What to do?
The first question is what does the firm expect from the individuals it selects to be its partners or shareholders. Does the firm expect these leaders to market? “Well, Adam, not everyone is cut out to be a rainmaker. Be realistic. Some have to be service partners. Firms need good service partners, Adam. How would we get the work done?” The question is the number. What percentage of the total number of partners can firms afford to have as service partners? In the situation described in the beginning of this article, with firms relying on too few rainmakers, most of the partners are acting as service partners! Can firms survive with 90% service partners? Absolutely not – that is a tragedy waiting to happen. What about 80%? Not on your life! What about 60% or 50%? Nope, way too dangerous. Do you want to know what I think? The numbers have to be totally reversed! The majority of the partners/shareholders must be actively engaged in marketing. Firms can only afford to have a small percentage of “service partners.” What percentage. It’s not an exact science but if I had to pick a number, I would say not more than 15%! Sounds radical huh?
One of my favorite sayings is that reality is our friend and self-deception is our enemy. We are fooling ourselves by believing that the superstar rainmakers will always keep our professionals busy. They all trip and fall. Every last one of them! If we don’t have other partners bringing in significant business, the firm will be history. And yes, it’s true, a modest rainmaker will not duplicate the performance of a star but six or seven modest rainmakers will and the time will come that they will determine firm survival. So how do we turn service partners into rainmakers? With training, with coaching, with mentoring, with positive reinforcement, with motivation, with incentives and yes even with fear. Firms must retool. They must transform some of those complacent, dependent, unambitious service partners into prowling, hungry predators. And in many cases it can be done. Expectations must be clear. Goals must be established. Compensation consequences must be even clearer. Training, coaching must be provided. There simply is no choice!
For more information on sales coaching and improving marketing results, contact SIC today!
Comedy
Corner
Inner Strength…
- If you can start the day without caffeine,
- If you can get going without pep pills,
- If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
- If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
- If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
- If you can understand that your loved ones are too busy and cannot give you any time,
- If you can take criticism without blame or resentment,
- If you can resist treating a rich man better than a poor one,
- If you can relax without liquor or sleep without the aid of drugs,
…Then you probably are the family dog!
This humor contributed by Helen Elbaum of Ramat Gan, Israel
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Mohegan Sun
