Overview
RAIN Group was founded in 2002 by Mike Schultz and John Doerr (no relation to the Kleiner Perkins partner). The Boston-headquartered firm built its reputation on research. The RAIN Group Center for Sales Research has published large-sample studies on B2B buying behavior, with one of the most-cited datasets covering more than 700 B2B purchases worth roughly $3.1B in combined purchasing power.
Programs span the full sales motion. Core selling skills, prospecting, key account management, negotiation, virtual selling, and sales management. RAIN was an early voice in the virtual-selling category, releasing structured content well before the COVID-era rush.
Methodology
RAIN Selling structures the seller-buyer conversation across four pillars. Rapport, Aspirations and Afflictions, Impact, and New Reality. Insight Selling, RAIN's flagship advanced methodology, extends this with three levels of insight that move the conversation from interaction to influence to brand-defining advisor.
The research base is the differentiator. Many methodologies pitch buyer-centric language. RAIN pairs the language with primary research on what buyers actually said drove the purchase decision.
Signature Programs
- RAIN Selling - core consultative methodology
- Insight Selling - advanced messaging and influence
- RAIN Sales Prospecting - outbound prospecting curriculum
- Strategic Account Management - key account growth
- Sales Negotiation - structured negotiation skills
- Virtual Selling - early-mover virtual selling curriculum
Who RAIN Group is best for
RAIN Group is a strong fit for mid-market to enterprise B2B teams, particularly in professional services and technology, that want a research-anchored methodology with breadth across the full sales motion. Buyers who want a single training partner for prospecting, core selling, key account management, and negotiation rather than three different vendors will see strong value.
RAIN Group is less of a fit for SMB owner-led teams that need behavior-change reinforcement, for buyers requiring deep SaaS-native methodology integration, or for organizations who specifically need MEDDIC-style qualification rigor.
Strengths and weaknesses
What RAIN Group does well
- Research-led content. The RAIN Group Center for Sales Research provides primary research credentials most peers lack.
- Strong virtual selling curriculum, developed early and refined over multiple cycles.
- Breadth of program coverage. Core selling, prospecting, KAM, negotiation, management all under one roof.
- Selling Power Top Sales Training 9+ consecutive years.
Where RAIN Group is weaker
- Mid-size delivery bench versus the largest enterprise providers.
- The November 2024 Alchemist acquisition introduces near-term integration risk for buyers expecting stable account teams.
- Less SaaS-native than Winning by Design for software-specific motions.
Reviews
RAIN Group maintains active G2 and Gartner Peer Insights profiles. Verified as of 2026-05-24, both aggregators show a 4.8 rating across a combined 49 reviews. Sentiment is positive on content quality and account responsiveness.
"The research underlying RAIN Selling came through in the workshop. Reps left with frameworks they actually used, not slogans they forgot." Director of Sales, professional services.
"Strong on prospecting and virtual selling content. We supplemented with MEDDIC for qualification rigor, but RAIN was the spine." Mid-market technology buyer.
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Leave a review →Notable Clients
RAIN Group's published case studies and research references have cited IBM (enterprise technology), Leica Geosystems (precision instruments), and Harvard Business Publishing (professional development) among clients. The firm focuses on consultative selling, account development, and virtual selling across mid-market and enterprise B2B organizations.
Contact RAIN Group
Get in touch directly with RAIN Group. A discovery call is free and typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.
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