The Rainmaking Podcast

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love sits down with Julie Fleming, author of The Reluctant Rainmaker and a leading expert in legal business development, to explore how professionals can create storm-proof strategies for success. Julie shares actionable insights on adapting to external disruptions, whether it’s an economic downturn or personal challenges, and emphasizes the importance of building strong client relationships to sustain growth during uncertain times. With a focus on pivoting effectively and maintaining a clear strategy, this conversation is packed with practical advice for attorneys and professionals across industries.Key topics include understanding the three responses to crises—panic, pretend, or pivot—and how to choose the right path, the critical role of relationships in business development, and strategies for tailoring your approach to match client needs. Whether you’re an attorney aiming to grow your practice or a business professional seeking resilience in turbulent times, this episode offers essential tools to thrive.----------------------------------------Julie A. Fleming is the principal of the legal business development consulting firm Fleming Strategic and previously practiced law for over a decade, focusing on patent litigation, in firms ranging from three to over 2100 attorneys. She is the author of three books: The Reluctant Rainmaker: A Guide for Lawyers Who Hate Selling (now in its Third Edition), Seven Foundations of Time Mastery for Attorneys, and Legal Rainmaking Myths: What You Think You Know About Business Development Could Kill Your Practice. A Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Julie holds a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.Links:www.FlemingStrategic.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julieafleming/ Book: The Reluctant Rainmaker https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Rainmaker-Guide-Lawyers-Selling/dp/0991125185/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=the+reluctant+rainmaker&qid=1632155696&sr=8-3#customerReviews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the founder of the Shari Levitin Group, Shari has helped create over 1 billion dollars in increased revenue for companies in over 40 countries teaching her authentic, heartfelt approach.Shari is the bestselling author of Heart and Sell: 10 Universal Truths Every Salesperson Needs to Know, a contributor to Forbes, CEO Magazine, and Huffington Post.  Additionally, Shari has been recognized as follows:●     Top 100 Global Inspirational Leader for 2021 by PeopleHum●     Top 50 Keynote Speakers for 2020 by Top Sales World●     Top Ten Voices in Sales for 2018 for LinkedIn●     20 sales experts who starred in the Salesforce documentary film "The Story of Sales.”●     Top 35 Most Influential Women in Sales globally (Sales Hacker)●     2020 Gold Medal Winner for Top Post by Top Sales World●     Top 30 authors and books to read by Vengreso, the largest digital transformation company in the U.S●     Guest lecturer at Harvard University where her book was chosen as the textbook for selling for the Strategic Selling ProgramShari, her husband, and son live in Park City, Utah. When she is not creating killer content, and presenting at sales kick-offs, Shari enjoys skiing, rock climbing, reading, and standing on her head.Links:www.sharilevitin.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6770133385466785792/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Philip Morgan, positioning consultant and author of The Positioning Manual for Indie Consultants, about how professionals can use specialization to create a more desirable and profitable market position. Philip explains that specialization is a powerful advantage for those who may not naturally see themselves as salespeople, helping them attract better opportunities by focusing their expertise on a clearly defined niche. He shares practical steps for choosing a specialization, including assessing personal risk tolerance, inventorying past experience, and exploring industries or markets where one already has a head start. Philip emphasizes that effective specialization often feels slightly uncomfortable but ultimately leads to deeper client trust, greater visibility, and sustainable growth. He discusses how to test a new focus area with small, lean experiments before heavily investing, and highlights that specialization should be treated as both a long-term commitment and a flexible starting point for future opportunities. This episode provides a thoughtful, actionable roadmap for professionals ready to differentiate themselves and build a stronger business foundation. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ --------------------------------------------- Philip Morgan's work on specialization, cultivating expertise, and monetizing IP helps independent consultants thrive. Philip has helped thousands of indie consultants use specialization to find a beachhead that leads to greater visibility, profitability, expertise, and success. He's also fascinated by those who cultivate valuable self-made expertise outside the narrow confines of the licensed professions, and I construct group challenges and experiential learning experiences that help my clients cultivate this kind of expertise. Philip Morgan was born in the US Virgin Islands and has been searching his whole life, without satisfaction, for a commercial ginger beer that matches the fiery home-brewed ginger beer he tasted there. After living in 28 different houses in 5 states and the aforementioned US territory, Philip seems to be settling down in Taos, New Mexico with an incredibly understanding wife and two ragdoll cats. He enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, black and white photography, and building horn and open-baffle speaker systems. Links: https://philipmorganconsulting.com/ linkedin.com/in/philipmorgan https://philipmorganconsulting.com/positioning-manual/ https://twitter.com/Philip_Morgan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Sachin Bakhai, CEO of Law KPIs, about how professionals can manage their firms like true businesses by making better decisions through data. Sachin shares how many firms struggle with fragmented information across systems like case management, CRM, and accounting, leading to reactive rather than proactive decision-making. He explains how consolidating internal data into actionable KPIs allows firms to track client growth, profitability, associate performance, and marketing ROI—ultimately helping leaders make smarter, faster decisions. Sachin emphasizes that using data is not just for executives; line-level managers can leverage insights to drive efficiency, profitability, and strategic growth within their teams. He also discusses trends like the shift toward flat-fee billing and how historical data can help firms price services more accurately. This episode provides a practical roadmap for firms that want to shift from gut-based decision-making to data-driven management and long-term success. Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/ ------------------------------------------------ Sachin is a visionary technologist and a serial entrepreneur. He has 20+ years of cumulative work experience including Consulting and Product start-ups. He brings significant executive leadership, sales, and marketing experience to the Company. Sachin has vast experience taking new products and services to market from concept through commercialization. As a CEO of LawKPIs, the vision is to help 10,000+ law firms to grow and succeed so they can enjoy financial independence. Links: www.lawkpis.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/lawkpis/about/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiH4g7GZWRSgj8epAUTs2qg https://www.facebook.com/lawkpis/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Cole Silver, Chief Client Officer at Blank Rome, about the evolving landscape of leadership, business development, and recruiting in the legal profession. Drawing from his experience as a business development expert and in-house counsel, Cole explores how technology, remote work, and shifting client expectations are reshaping how law firms compete for both talent and clients. The conversation dives into how video platforms have shortened the hiring process, how firms are leveraging remote work for competitive advantage, and why trust, communication, and resilience are critical in the new business environment.Scott and Cole also discuss the ongoing war for associate talent, the growing importance of leadership development in law firms, and the limitations of the traditional billable-hour model. Scott shares his perspective on what truly drives retention and growth—emphasizing firm culture, visionary leadership, and rainmaker training as the keys to future success. With insights from both sides of the legal talent equation, this episode provides a candid, strategic look at what’s ahead for the legal industry.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/----------------------------------------Cole Silver serves as the Chief Client Officer for Blank Rome. In this role, Cole provides consultative client relationship support to the Firm and its clients, helping to identify and implement strategies and tactics to improve client satisfaction, expand into new areas of service, and ensure an outstanding client experience. With over 25 years of experience as General Counsel to several high-growth companies, Cole brings an insider's view of clients' key legal concerns and what they want and expect from the outside counsel. He has authored books and trained numerous professionals in the areas of client development and service.Links:www.blankrome.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/colesilver/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love welcomes back Ed Wallace—business relationship expert and author of Business Relationships That Last—to discuss how professionals can better “speak the language of their clients.” Ed shares practical tools to improve client conversations, beginning with his “Relational GPS” framework: understanding a client’s Goals, Passions, and Struggles. He explains how too few professionals truly learn what matters to their clients, and shows how using discovery questions like “What was your biggest accomplishment over the last year?” can reveal deeper insights that lead to stronger relationships.Ed also breaks down how to translate a firm’s value proposition into client-centric language that reflects the client’s specific business needs. Rather than leading with services, professionals should listen first, ask follow-up questions, and only then present a custom “value statement” that aligns with the client’s goals. This episode offers a clear, actionable process for rainmakers to approach conversations more strategically and build meaningful, business-focused relationships.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/----------------------------------------------------Ed Wallace consults with and speaks for corporations and associations across the globe with a client list that is a Who's Who of Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of Fares to Friends, Creating Relational Capital, Business Relationships That Last, and his most recent the #1 best-selling The Relationship Engine. In addition, Ed is currently on the Executive Education faculty of Drexel's LeBow College of Business and Villanova University's Human Resources Master's Program.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwallace007/http://www.relationalcapitalgroup.com/solutions/keynote-talks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Alexandra Ontra, co-founder of Shufflrr, about how professionals can improve sales outcomes through better storytelling in presentations. Drawing from her background in advertising and interactive media, Alexandra explains that most sales decks strip away emotion by default—relying on bullet points and data instead of meaningful narratives. She argues that storytelling in business is about restoring the human element, helping prospects see themselves in the story, and creating emotional resonance around a product or service.Alexandra introduces a simple framework: the product is the hero, the client is the co-star, and the story arc follows how the product helps solve the client’s problem and improve their outcome. She shares how Shufflrr’s interactive slide library helps sales teams create customized, on-the-fly presentations that follow the conversation—not just a static slide deck. This episode is packed with tactical storytelling advice and offers a fresh perspective on how to deliver more engaging, memorable, and client-focused pitches.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/------------------------------------------------------AlexAnndra Ontra is changing the way the enterprise world thinks about its most undervalued asset — the presentation. As President and co-founder of Shufflrr, AlexAnndra is blazing a trail in the emerging new discipline of presentation management. The technology she helped create is already powering the presentation strategies of hundreds of Fortune-level companies, helping them save millions of dollars by transforming humble PowerPoint slides into invaluable business assets.Before co-founding Shufflrr, AlexAnndra made her mark in the world of advertising. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from UT Austin, she quickly rose through the ranks at international agencies DDB and Lowe & Partners SMS, developing campaigns for blue-chip clients like American Airlines, Priceline.com, and Zales Corp.Then in 2002, she decided to strike out on her own. Teaming up with her brother James, she launched Ontra Presentations with nothing more than a borrowed desk, two phones, and a lot of hustle. Together they cold-called prospects for eight hours a day, every day. Their persistence paid dividends, and in less than 90 days they’d landed their first big client: ABC Television.Fast forward 12 years and over 50 Fortune-level clients later, Alex had cemented her position as a thought leader in the presentation space. But her experience had also highlighted the glaring shortcomings of existing presentation software. So, in 2014 she and her brother began an ambitious new project, combining their 30+ years of practical know-how with the latest machine learning and cloud technology. The result? Shufflrr, a powerful, elegant, easy-to-use SaaS solution that’s finally bringing decades-old presentation technology into the 21st century.Links:https://shufflrr.com/https://twitter.com/shufflrrhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanndra-ontra-7942741/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Charlie Cina, sales trainer, speaker, and author of Expose and Close, about how professionals can master the art of the introduction to present themselves with purpose and impact from the first point of contact. Charlie shares how his early entrepreneurial experiences—like buying and growing a paper route at age 10—taught him that “the more you introduce, the more you produce.” He explains that rainmaking success starts with confidently and clearly answering the question, “What do you do?” in 10 seconds or less, with a message focused on solving the prospect’s problem.Charlie offers a framework for creating a powerful personal presentation, sorting prospects from suspects, and building relationships through authentic engagement. He emphasizes that anyone—introvert or extrovert—can connect if they have a script rooted in truth, clarity, and client value. With tips on networking, following up, and staying top of mind using tools like OneTap Connect, Charlie equips listeners with a simple, actionable process to attract high-level clients and close more business.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/------------------------------------------------------Charlie Cina captivates his audiences and teaches them how to master the right mindset, missions, and moves to reach their personal potential to drive massive revenue. Through his writings, speaking, and consulting, he has built a vast group of followers known as Disciples of Sales. Charlie believes that the ability to present and persuade are necessary life skills that everyone needs to succeed. He will teach you that your primary responsibility in business is to expose your brand, expose your products, expose your services, and expose your solutions to build long-lasting revenue relationships.Charlie has leveraged his expertise in sales and marketing to work with billion-dollar brands like Pepsi, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, and The Wynn Resort. He has acquired as clients the top motivational speakers, trainers in the world like Tony Robbins, Les Brown, and Eric Thomas. His 30 years of boots on the ground and under fire sales experience has led him to create the proven techniques and strategies to activate, acquire, and achieve massive success. Charlie will transfer to you his simple formula to make sales easy, so anyone who implements can potentially connect with high-level clients and billion-dollar companies.Links: charlie@charliecina.comwww.charliecina.comwww.onetapconnect.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecina/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with David Avrin—global keynote speaker, marketing expert, and author of The Customer Experience Advantage—about how professionals can future-proof their business in an unpredictable world. David explains that customer expectations have changed dramatically in recent years, with speed, access, and ease now considered standard. As clients increasingly compare service experiences across industries, firms that fail to adapt risk becoming irrelevant—even if their core service is strong.David emphasizes the importance of eliminating friction, understanding the evolving challenges facing your ideal clients, and creating structured opportunities for conversation—both with clients and within your firm. He also shares tips on improving virtual presence, building human connection through digital platforms, and using internal “morning huddles” to spark innovation. This episode is a practical and timely guide for professionals looking to stay relevant, resilient, and relationship-driven in a rapidly changing business environment.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/----------------------------------------One of the most in-demand Customer Experience speakers and consultants in the world today, David Avrin, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow, has shared his content-rich, entertaining and actionable presentations with enthusiastic audiences across North America and in 24 countries around the world. David helps organizations better understand and connect with their changing customers and clients to help future-proof their businesses.David's insights have been featured on thousands of media outlets around the world. He is also the author of five books including the acclaimed: It's Not Who You Know, It's Who Knows You!, Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back) and his newest book: The Morning Huddle -- Powerful Customer Experience Conversations to Wake You Up, Shake You Up, and Win More Business.Linkswww.morninghuddlemembership.comdavid@davidavrin.comwww.davisavrin.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/davidavrin/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Rainmaking Podcast, host Scott Love speaks with Mark Roberts, sales performance expert and founder of the “No Smoke and Mirrors” consultancy, about how to get new rainmakers to produce results quickly and consistently. Drawing on over 35 years of experience, Mark explains that success in business development hinges less on personality and more on skills, motivation, and mindset. He introduces his use of assessment tools that measure competencies like the “will to sell” and identifies limiting beliefs—such as a need to be liked or discomfort discussing money—that often hold professionals back.Mark discusses how law firms and other professional services organizations can avoid costly hiring mistakes by using data-driven assessments and behavioral interview questions to evaluate candidates before making offers. He emphasizes that rainmaking is a teachable skill, and offers insights into onboarding, coaching, and client feedback processes that support growth. From mindset reframing to value-based selling and succession planning, this episode provides a strategic blueprint for firms committed to building high-performing business developers.Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/------------------------------------------------------Mark Roberts is a senior-level sales and marketing leader with over 35 years of experience driving profitable sales growth in market-leading organizations. He has done so at companies like Timken, VMI, Gardner Denver, Mobility Works, and Frito-Lay. Mark is an author, public speaker, sales trainer, and sales coach. In 2018, he received the Business Excellence award from NSME and in 2019, The Highspot Sales Enablement Award. He was also recognized by Sales Hacker Inc. in the Sales Enablement Category. Mark is the founder of OTB Solutions, LLC, and the popular business development blog, www.nosmokeandmirrors.com, ranked #1 in fixing sales problems. Today, he is the founder and president of OTB Sales where he helps clients diagnose and improve sales effectiveness, and hire and develop their sales talent to improve sales results.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/markaroberts/Mark’s ebook on how to leverage the voice of your customers https://otbsalessolutions.com/voc/ A short video about one skill all top performers have https://eliteexpertsvideonetwork.com/mark-allen-roberts-do-your-salespeople-have-the-one-skill-required-by-all-top-sales-performers/Article: Are your Salespeople selling naked today? https://otbsalessolutions.com/are-your-salespeople-selling-naked-today/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices