3 Traits of Rainmakers: What Top Performers Do Differently | Matt Dixon

The Art of Charm

http://www.TheArtOfCharm.com

Business, Health & Fitness, Education

4.7 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2025

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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: Activators don't rely on being top of mind—they engineer it by adding value consistently. Smart professionals build leverage by helping others long before there's anything to gain. 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. No doesn’t mean never. Activators stay present, learn why they lost, and often get the callback when things go sideways. Learn to prune. Keep your “inner circle” warm. Everyone else? Let them go. A Word From Our Sponsors Tired of awkward handshakes and collecting business cards without building real connections? Dive into our Free Social Capital Networking Masterclass. Learn practical strategies to make your interactions meaningful and boost your confidence in any social situation. Sign up for free at theartofcharm.com/sc and elevate your networking from awkward to awesome. Don’t miss out on a network of opportunities! Unleash the power of covert networking to infiltrate high-value circles and build a 7-figure network in just 90 days. Ready to start? Check out our CIA-proven guide to networking like a spy! Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince—where high-end essentials meet unbeatable prices. Upgrade your wardrobe today at quince.com/charm for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Ready to turn your business idea into reality? Shopify makes it easy to start, scale, and succeed—whether you're launching a side hustle or building the next big brand. Sign up for your $1/month trial at shopify.com/charm. Need to hire top talent—fast? Skip the waiting game and get more qualified applicants with Indeed. Claim your $75 Sponsored Job Credit now at Indeed.com/charm. Curious about your influence level? Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at theartofcharm.com/influence. DCM Insights 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 AJ on LinkedIn Johnny on LinkedIn AJ on Instagram Johnny on Instagram The Art of Charm on Instagram The Art of Charm on YouTube The Art of Charm on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Amazon offers employees up to £8,000 for education and training, like Juliet.
0:07.0	She's now a trained technician.
0:10.0	And to her, the sound of machinery in need of repair, reminds her of how far she's come.
0:18.0	In two years, she's landed her dream job, providing her with valuable skills.
0:24.2	That's up to £8,000 for education and training at Amazon.
0:28.3	Eligibility conditions apply.
0:30.1	Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.
0:34.8	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business
0:38.9	with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand, marketing tools that get your
0:43.7	products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time, from startups to scale
0:48.8	ups, online, in person and on the go. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
0:58.7	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
1:04.1	How often does that happen where you're out of sight, out of mind, you haven't engaged with the client for a while, nobody's talking about you, you're not delivering value,
1:09.1	and then suddenly they're going off and hiring somebody
1:11.3	else. Or their piece of business up for grabs, you never even knew was up for grabs.
1:24.3	Welcome to the show, Matt. Great to have you. It's awesome to be here. Thank you so much for the invitation.
1:29.2	And I would love to set things up for our audience because I know there's a decent chunk of them that probably don't see themselves as business development or sales professionals.
1:37.6	But everyone's worried about the recession. They're worried about their career and even how AI might replace them.
1:43.8	And when we think about
1:45.1	activators and we're going to dive deep into what you mean by that, these are also the same
1:49.7	skill sets and mindsets than Johnny and I have been teaching over the last 20 years to be more social
1:54.0	and charismatic and stand out to build the social circle. So it was really fun going through the book
	...

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