A rainmaker is an individual who brings in large amounts of business to a company. Rainmakers can appear across a number of industries. What unites them is their ability to acquire affluent clients and generate significant revenue for the company they are employed by.

Key Takeaways

• An individual that brings real, positive change to an organization is a rainmaker.
• A rainmaker is a person who brings clients, business, and money to their firm.
• A retired politician with a large following and the ability to raise campaign funds for others is also a rainmaker.
• The term is often used in the legal profession, but also business, investment banking, and entertainment.
• Technically, a rainmaker can exist in any part of any business.

Understanding a Rainmaker

Rainmakers have a special quality that makes them productive. Most of the time they are simply extremely skilled at their craft, whether that be providing investment advice, putting together and executing a merger transaction, sorting through complicated tax issues, or demonstrating the value of a product.

Fast Fact; The term rainmaker is believed to originate from the Native American practice of dancing and singing to bring rain for crops.

Types of Rainmaker

Historically, the term rainmaker was applied to influential members of the legal profession, such as ex-politicians with law degrees. Over the years, the name caught on, leading successful individuals working in other fields to also begin being referred to as rainmakers.

Wall Street

On Wall Street, a rainmaker would be a broker or financial advisor who brings in several wealthy clients, or a banker who secures many merger and acquisition (M&A) deals or mandates for initial public offerings (IPO).

Business

Any salesperson elsewhere is considered a rainmaker if he or she closes a lot of contracts.

Law

At a law firm, a rainmaker may be a senior partner who captures lucrative legal work through his or her network of contacts or word-of-mouth.

Politics

Some politicians can also be referred to as rainmakers. Those that command this title usually have a lot of connections that can come in handy for swaying votes or fundraising campaigns.

The Bottom Line

A rainmaker is someone who can bring real, positive change to an organization. Although born in business, the term applies to anyone with the unique capabilities of making business, money, or connections appear out of seemingly nowhere.