The Brainfluence Podcast With Roger Dooley

In this episode of Brainfluence, host Roger Dooley welcomes back Matt Dixon, founding partner of DCM Insights and co-author of the bestselling "The Challenger Sale." Dixon shares insights from his latest book, The Activator Advantage: What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently, which is rooted in groundbreaking research on how top professionals win and grow client relationships in the increasingly competitive world of professional services. Dixon unpacks the five distinct profiles that partners in fields like law, accounting, and consulting tend to fall into, with a particular focus on the "Activator"—a proactive, well-networked rainmaker who brings new ideas to clients and promotes deep collaboration within firms. Dixon explains that while only about 15–20% of partners naturally exhibit strong activator traits, everyone can learn to adopt key behaviors that set activators apart: maintaining a regular business development cadence, building broad and deep networks, and proactively creating value for clients. He re