The Rainmaker Academy®

Business Development Programs

Customized programs that enhance your firm, empower your top talent, and help you plot a course for growth.

Through the Rainmaker Business Development Programs, firms can help grow their partner-track employees, learn how to make more impactful client relationships, streamline new business growth, and target specific client niches — all with a team tailoring the courses to fit each organization’s needs.

The TEAMS™ Methodology

Our proven TEAMS™ methodology is the framework upon which our business development programs are built. It provides a memorable roadmap for the many steps to effectively developing client relationships.

Target
Building perspective for self-management and market focus
Explore
Building opportunities to create value for clients
Align
Building solutions that connect firm services to client needs
Motivate
Building engagement in relationships to prompt action
Serve
Building client experiences that create lasting impact

Business Development Programs

Structured programs designed to build the mindset, strategy, skills, and accountability to drive sustainable growth.

Master Rainmaker Program

12-18 Months (72 CE hours)

Our signature business development program since 1991, this immersive and experiential program builds skills to develop lasting, high-value client relationships. Participants apply learning in the real world with a clear plan and accountability. This course has transformed the careers of tens of thousands of past participants.

Senior managers on partner track, new partners, and up

Equips a firm’s current and rising leaders to sustain and grow the firm by acquiring, retaining, and expanding client relationships and referral networks.

  • Mix of in-person and virtual sessions
  • Four in‐person, two‐day group training sessions
  • Two online, half-day group training sessions
  • Four online, one‐hour individual coaching sessions
  • Managing self and clarifying market focus
  • Exploring opportunities to create value for clients and prospects
  • Aligning solutions that connect services to client needs
  • Navigating relationships to prompt action
  • Creating high-impact client experiences

Prodigy Rainmaker Program

6-12 Months (12 CE hours)

Put your high-potential professionals on their paths to leadership with a head start. This completely virtual program builds skills, behaviors, and confidence that will help put them on the fast track, and make them well-equipped for the more advanced Rainmaker Master program.

High-potential associates through new managers

Prepares high-potential talent early in their careers to begin building high-value networks and more impactful client relationships

  • All-virtual, live program
  • Six online two‐hour group training sessions
  • Four online half-hour individual coaching sessions
  • Setting the stage to becoming a rainmaker
  • Positioning yourself as a trusted advisor
  • Cultivating a powerful network
  • Targeting ideal prospective clients
  • Preparing for effective client and prospect meetings
  • Asking high-impact questions and presenting powerfully

Apprentice Rainmaker Program

6-12 Months (Variable)

Establishes a broad foundation of essential firm-wide business development skills. This comprehensive, modular system can be easily implemented with your own facilitators or fully turnkey by Rainmaker. Select modules for a custom series or deploy the series in its entirety. The system can be tailored to a firm’s specific needs.

Associates and up, through those needing the basics

Establishes a solid foundational understanding of business development principles and best practices to nurture a firm’s growth culture

  • Module package can be internally led, self-paced, or Rainmaker facilitated
  • Includes presentation materials, participant and facilitator guides
  • Mix of in-person and virtual sessions
  • One in-person, two-day workshop for one or multiple segment teams
  • Virtual team coaching sessions focused on advancing top-tier pursuits

Growth Teams
Program

6-12 Months (8-16 CE hours)

Strengthen your firm’s high-potential niche practices and develop a path for growth. One or more teams unify around a consistent process and develop practice-specific growth plans, while gaining momentum quickly with clear business development plans around their top-tier targets.

Segment leaders and their selected growth-focused team members

Enables core teams around a firm’s high-potential niche practices. Teams adopt a clear strategy and a laser-focused approach to developing their practice.

  • Mix of in-person and virtual sessions
  • One in-person, two-day workshop for one or multiple segment teams
  • Virtual team coaching sessions focused on advancing top-tier pursuits
  • Building high-performance teams
  • Developing and prioritizing practice growth strategies
  • Identifying and prioritizing target clients
  • Aligning relevant service offerings
  • Implementing a process for developing clients and driving growth

“Being a part of Rainmaker has been both mind-changing and habit-changing. It makes one accountable for the activities one knows they should be doing, but without Rainmaker, they may let opportunities slip by.”

Terri Cogan Senior Manager | Wipfli LLP

“Even though I’ve done hundreds of presentations throughout my career, the focus, approach, and tips promoted by the Rainmaker Academy have made a major improvement in my effectiveness.”

Blake Roe Partner | Plante Moran

“You challenged me, you pushed me, you made me better equipped to market myself and my firm, and for that I thank you. The new reality is that I am a better professional today than I was 18 months ago when this journey began.”

Ward Austin Member | FMC CPAs, PLLC

“I can’t tell you how much this experience has meant to me. Hands down it has been the best training program I have ever participated in. Thank you for an outstanding experience. Clearly one of the best business investments I’ve ever made!”

Bradford Hatchett Managing Partner | Grantham Poole

“The Rainmaker Academy has changed my behavior. I spend more time in my week reaching out to prospects and referrals.  It is something that I am doing as part of my every day. It has been a huge help in allowing more time for connecting with others.”

Kathy Jensen Partner | CST Group

“The Rainmaker Academy program provides the perfect structure on which to base our business development efforts. Without question, it provides outstanding professional development opportunities and a very high return on our investment of time and money.”

Mike Parton Managing Principal | Coulter & Justus, P.C.

“Since graduating from the Rainmaker program, I have been able to leverage the skills I learned to increase new business sales in consecutive years. In the fiscal year leading up to my promotion, I sold just under $200,000 in new business across several service lines.”

Lance Drummond Principal | Clark Schaefer Hackett

“I could not be more happy with The Rainmaker Academy program. Using skills learned in the class, I am getting referrals on a regular basis, selling new projects to existing clients and bringing in new clients to the firm. If you put in the work, this class will pay for itself.”

Reed Chase Partner, Assurance Practice Head | Tanner

“Rainmaker took a refreshingly different approach to selling – one rooted in understanding our clients as people first. Their training was highly practical and grounded in real-world experience. The program brought our global firm closer and strengthened our ability to serve clients as one team.”

Kaitlyn Cockcroft Senior Manager, R&D Credits | Forvis Mazars

“I have been a part of various trainings focused on sales and business development. Probably the most focused, formal training I have received was The Rainmaker Academy. During the program, I was able to close the deal on over $800,000 worth of business.”

Sandy Shoemaker Partner | Plante Moran

“The results have been exceptional. From a pure ROI standpoint, the program has more than paid for itself. But what stands out even more is the development of our people and the positive impact on our clients. These aren’t just better rainmakers – they’re better advisors and teammates.”

John Lauseng Chief Executive Officer and Partner | Aldrich

“The Rainmaker team took the time to have a conversation … They didn’t ask ‘What do you need?’ but rather, ‘How does what you need fit into your goals?’ ”

Brett Settles Director of Learning and Development | PKF O’Connor Davies

Interested in a Custom Program?

We offer customizable programs for firms or associations with specific talent development needs based on any one or a combination of our standard programs.

Contact us for more information.