Rain

RAIN is the first business parable written by bestselling business book author Jeffrey J. Fox. The parable follows a young New England paperboy, named Rain, as he learns the business of being in business and quickly becomes the best paperboy in town.

Through a series of humorous poignant vignettes, Jeff illustrates forty "rainmaker" business lessons that can be applied to not only paperboys, but anyone in business and sales. Rain's time as a paperboy proves to be just as valuable as getting an MBA.

As with Jossey-Bass' popular Lencioni business fables, the format for Rain includes an actionable business model at the end of the book with instant takeaways and practical advice.

Preface viii

Acknowledgments xiv

Get Up: A Prologue 1

1 Opportunity 3

2 Interview Planning 8

3 Interview 11

4 Money 17

5 The Dinner Table 22

6 Day One 25

7 Mean Dogs 30

8 The Ten Customer Commandments 34

9 The Sundays 36

10 Referrals 40

11 The Contest 45

12 Luck 50

13 Bonus 53

14 The Bully (Part I) 56

15 Green Lightning 61

16 Innovation 64

17 Coffee 67

18 Rookie 71

19 Photo 75

20 Crime and Punishment 77

21 Collections 85

22 Ice 90

23 Exit Strategy 94

24 Valuation 96

25 Negotiation 105

26 The New Kid 109

27 The Bully (Part II) 111

28 Vern 116

29 Getting an M.B.A. 120

The Rain Reader 129

Epilogue 193

About the Author 194

THE AUTHOR

JEFFREY J. FOX is the founder and president of Fox & Company, Inc., a marketing consulting firm that specializes in marketing strategy development, innovation, enhancement, and selling skills training. In addition, Fox is a popular speaker and the acclaimed author of a series of hard-hitting international business best-sellers, How to Become CEO, How to Become a Rainmaker, and Secrets of Great Rainmakers among others.

What do Alexander Hamilton, Walt Disney, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sam Walton, Willie Mays, and Jerry Seinfeld have in common?

They all started out as paperboys.

Paperboys and girls symbolize our country’s relentless, indefatigable entrepreneurial spirit. They bought, sold, and delivered papers. And they did it alone, often in the dark and cold—and they were kids!

In this witty and wise story, bestselling business author Jeffrey J. Fox reveals why the lessons paperboys learn so often establish them on the early road to success. The story follows a young New England paperboy named Rain, as he navigates the business of being in business and quickly becomes the best paperboy in town.

Through a series of humorous and often poignant vignettes, Fox illustrates “rainmaker” business lessons that can be applied not only to paperboys, but to anyone in business and sales facing obstacles and challenges. While working his paper route, Rain gradually discovers the value of planning for an interview, the ten customer commandments, his ability to negotiate, why it’s necessary to innovate, how to create an exit strategy, and much more. Ultimately, Rain’s time as a paperboy proves to be a valuable foundation for business success.

Rain includes “The Rain Reader,” a series of actionable business takeaways and practical advice to make anyone a rainmaker.