Are you a rainmaker? Do you want to become one? You can. Rainmakers are individuals who are successful regardless of the product or service they sell. Their success is based on their relationships.

When observing and talking about a successful rainmaker, the phrase often bandied about is “know, like and trust.” If you can get someone to know, like and trust you then you have a competitive edge. If you can get someone to know, like and trust you then you have a real opportunity for sustainable business.

The phrase is easy to say. The acknowledgement of its value is easy to make. The assumption is everyone knows how to do it. After all, it’s something we are taught as children – how to get along with others.

The truth is that getting people to know, like and trust you is not so easy to do. If it was, every business-development person, marketer and salesperson out there would be doing it and business success would be abundant and rampant.

Rainmakers work hard at being successful because they focus on their relationships and evolving them to a deep level of know, like and trust; most importantly, trust. In developing their relationships rainmakers direct their focus in three areas:

• The nature of relationships – core characteristics of strong and trusting relationships that are understood, embraced and practiced.

Rainmakers I’ve met and interviewed embody two primary philosophies – building trust and being generous.

Rainmakers understand this foundation of trust and generosity, and know they are at the core of successful and sustainable relationships. You can have the greatest product in the world, but if you are not trusted you will have a difficult time selling it. Realize also that not being trusted is not the same as being untrustworthy. Building trust takes effort and a little time.