In an article I wrote for American Express, I discussed my experiences with trying to close business deals. Many times, I was sure I had it in the bag because of my incredible pitch, but these situations have taught me that closing more business goes well beyond that. I learned that there were other tactics and skills that were necessary. These tactics include having more specific goals about what I’m trying to achieve and being aware of the true decision maker in the deal so I can sit down with them for the pitch.
Other traits that have proven to help increase deal closures involve maintaining a positive demeanor through the negotiation process, actively listening, and asking questions. Using past success stories with quantitative results also helps to close more business because a customer has a basis for the type of success and solution you can offer them.
Communication is at the core of every successful deal closure because you need to clearly explain what you will do and exhibit confidence when doing so. That’s why making eye contact is the key. Lastly, it may happen that you still get a “no,” but that doesn’t mean you go away angry. You never know when they may come back in the future as long as you leave everything on good terms.
