Karen Keller
You’re walking into the boardroom. All eyes are on you. You take a seat. Take a deep breath and WHAM – now you’re on. What’s next?
Every day leaders are made, deals get sealed, and negotiations fall through.. So what separates the ‘made’ deals from the ‘broken’ deals? Following these simple yet forgotten ‘seal the deal’ rules:
Seal the Deal Rule #1: If you don’t tell people about your success, they probably won’t know about it. This is your opportunity to shine! Be bold about what you or your product or service has accomplished for the many who came before. Get into the benefits of the benefits. For example, if your service allowed management to make better more productive decisions 95% of the time – great! Now remind the ‘powers that be’ that it then lead to less fear, increased morale and onto a 35% increase in production.
Seal the Deal Rule #2: Keep it short, swift and straight. Know your stuff. Don’t go on tangents. Get to the bottom line. Trust me, they will look at the details soon enough but they want to hear what’s in it for them – in 10 words or less. You need to be prepared and succinct. Be direct about what they will get. This applies to your body language. Short, sweet and to the point.
Seal the Deal Rule #3: Begin working at a young age. Every person should start working at a young age. Mowing lawns, delivering papers and babysitting ware the beginnings of many multi-millionaires. So apply this rule to your preparation for sealing the big deal. Do your research. Put the details and benefits together in a way that is EASY to understand and get – the first time! Think of every possible question they could throw at you – then answer them. The next step is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Delivery counts.
Seal the Deal Rule #4: Keep the big picture in mind while tending to the details. Don’t forget the long-term benefits. Everyone likes to hear how they will have less stress, more money, lasting ‘whatever’ for their children. Know your audience. Don’t assume anything unless you know for sure – pun intended! Investigate what previous deals the company has dismissed as well as signed on to. Put together a big picture of the company, board of directors, or management and administer the selling accordingly.
Seal the Deal Rule #5: Observe EVERYTHING. Stay focused. Watch the body language of the decision makers. Make mental notes of who is influencing whom. Take precautions to flex your style to mirror the heavy weights.
Sealing the deal rules apply not only to the big finale of announcing your deal but also to each and every step along the way. Sealing the deal can mean several things, not hearing ‘no’, telling you to come back with a few changes, setting another time to meet, or the ‘we like this, change that’ scenario. There are several steps in sealing the deal. So, be familiar with the little successes along the way that get you to the BIG yes in the end!
