There’s a misconception people often make with the term ‘close a deal.’ The phrase itself simply means making a deal happen, nothing more. It is not, as some seem to think, a euphemism for deception or malicious activities designed to force a deal. Unfortunately, there are people both inside and beyond the insurance industry who see ‘closing’ and ‘lying’ as synonyms. Of course they tell themselves they’re just ‘stretching’ the truth.
These people often think that the only way to ‘close’ a deal is to convince the other party to accept the deal. When they make a deal, they often treat it as a victory over the other party; even if the final result of the deal is a business merger. This is not how anyone should approach a deal of any kind. Whether you are negotiating a new contract, buying a new car or buying an insurance agency, there are far more positive approaches that are more successful than deception.
Be Honest
The most obvious alternative approach is simply to be honest. That doesn’t mean laying all of your cards on the table right away, but it means telling it like it is when you discuss your intentions. Honesty has a great way of shining through when you speak. It can be difficult to tell if someone is lying but when someone speaks with pure honesty everyone in the room can see it.
The irony here is that everybody, even the people who equate lies with ‘closing’, wants to work with someone who is honest. If you expect the other part to be honest, you should demand the same of yourself.
Speak With Purpose
The most important factor in closing a deal is rarely the figures or the facts written on paper. In most cases it’s personality. When you talk about the deal, do so with purpose and let your personality shine through. The deal is not a static financial interaction so, talk about the practical side of the deal. Build every conversation, every point around action. Talk in terms of ‘we’ and ‘doing’, not ‘the combined entity’ and ‘future scenarios’.
Wear Your Enthusiasm
A bi-product of speaking with purpose is that it forces you to sound enthusiastic. It strips away all of the cold language and leaves you with excited, active conversation. You need to back that up with genuine enthusiasm for the deal. We’ve spoken before about the effect of disinterested buyers in meetings, so I won’t labor this point too much. Put it this way, if you want to make a deal, you need to act like you want it to happen. If you, personally, can’t muster the required enthusiasm, maybe there is someone else in your organization better suited to be in the meeting.
No matter what you’re trying to say, being convincing never has to be about getting one over on the other party. All you need to do is demonstrate how much you care, then the deal will practically close itself.
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