3 Traits of Rainmakers: What Top Performers Do Differently | Matt Dixon
The Art of Charm
Navigating the Landscape of Meaningful Professional Relationships
This chapter explores the Dunbar number and its implications for managing relationships in early career stages. It highlights the value of prioritizing meaningful connections, warning against the inefficiencies of maintaining non-reciprocal relationships.
In this episode of The Art of Charm, we sit down with Matt Dixon, co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Activator Advantage. In today’s conversation, Matt Dixon reveals why the professionals dominating in today’s market aren’t necessarily the most credentialed, but the most proactive. We explore Matt’s research across 3,000 professionals and break down the five business development personas, highlighting the unique traits and habits that make the “Activator” profile the highest performer of them all.
Whether you're in sales, consulting, law, or simply trying to future-proof your career, adopting the activator mindset can radically shift how you're perceived and what doors open next. This episode will show you how to stop waiting for opportunity—and start creating it.
What to Listen For
[00:00:00] Why clients forget about you—and how activators stay top of mind
[00:01:14] The 5 business development personas and why activators win
[00:09:56] Data shows activators are the top performers—and least likely to fail
[00:17:52] How activators manage their network like a pipeline—not a popularity contest
[00:24:13] The myth of being annoying: why clients want more outreach, not less
[00:33:08] “No” isn’t the end: how activators turn rejection into opportunity
[00:39:24] The 4-part insight framework for opening doors with ideas
[00:45:57] Why you must prune stale relationships to stay high-impact
[00:54:49] The activator approach to events: plan, target, and follow through
[01:01:53] Don’t just post on LinkedIn—why DMs and engagement matter more
Episode Takeaways:
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Activators don't rely on being top of mind—they engineer it by adding value consistently.
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Smart professionals build leverage by helping others long before there's anything to gain.
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Great client relationships aren’t the result of great work—they're often the cause of it. Build trust early, not just after the sale.
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No doesn’t mean never. Activators stay present, learn why they lost, and often get the callback when things go sideways.
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Learn to prune. Keep your “inner circle” warm. Everyone else? Let them go.
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The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently
The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
HBR: What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently
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