5 Tactics for Becoming the Ultimate Dealmaker, According to BetterYou‘s CEO
Want to be the go-to dealmaker on your team? The one who consistently brings in the biggest clients, negotiates the best terms, and drives the most revenue growth? Of course you do.
Dealmaking is part art, part science. And while some people may seem like they were born to wheel and deal, the reality is that dealmaking is a skill that can be learned and mastered with the right tactics and enough practice.
As the CEO of BetterYou, a leading sales training firm, I‘ve worked with hundreds of top dealmakers over the years, from Fortune 500 executives to enterprising entrepreneurs. I‘ve studied what they do differently and broken down their secrets to success.
So go ahead, grab that coffee, because you‘ll be a certified closer by the time you finish this article. Here are five essential tactics used by ultimate dealmakers:
1. Flip Positions into Interests
Top negotiators understand that what someone says they want in a negotiation (their position) is often not what they actually need to satisfy their underlying concerns (their interests).
For example, a client may take the position that they need a 20% discount. But what they really need is a way to come in under budget and look good to their boss. Price is just one way to achieve those underlying interests.
Great dealmakers look beyond surface-level positions and dig deeper to uncover the other party‘s true motivations and objectives. They ask probing questions like:
- "What‘s driving this request?"
- "What problem are you ultimately trying to solve?"
- "What does success look like for you in this deal?"
By identifying interests rather than just reacting to positions, you give yourself more room to find creative, mutually beneficial agreements. You might not be able to give a 20% discount, but you could offer other concessions like throwing in some free training or splitting the cost over two budget cycles.
The lesson is: don‘t get locked into a positional tug-of-war. Flip the conversation to a collaborative search for ways to satisfy both parties‘ underlying interests.
2. Let the Other Party Anchor First
In negotiations, anchoring means making the first offer and setting the initial parameters around price or terms. Conventional wisdom says you should anchor aggressively in your favor, right? Not so fast.
Research shows that dealmakers who let the other party anchor first gain valuable information about their counterpart‘s expectations and bargaining range, without giving up much in return.[^1] The other side may very well anchor higher (or lower) than you were planning, instantly shifting the zone of possible agreement in your favor.
Even if their initial anchor is way off, don‘t sweat it. Studies have found that exorbitant first offers don‘t significantly influence final deal terms.[^2] An unrealistic anchor is easily brushed aside, while a reasonable anchor from them gives you a defined starting point to work from.
So flip the script and let them show their cards first. Politely ask:
- "What are you thinking in terms of price?"
- "What were you hoping to get out of this deal?"
- "Do you have a proposal in mind?"
Once they anchor, you can counter with a number at the opposite end of the bargaining range and begin working towards a favorable middle ground.
3. Trade, Don‘t Cave
When you‘re deadlocked in tense final negotiations, it‘s tempting to cave and make unilateral concessions just to get the deal done. Resist that urge. Great dealmakers are masters of trading, not caving.
The concept is simple: whenever you give something up, always get something in return. Otherwise you‘re just negotiating with yourself and unilaterally losing value.
Let‘s say the client asks you to throw in some extra onboarding services for free. Don‘t reflexively give in just to close the deal. Instead, treat it as an opportunity to trade for something you value, like a longer contract term or quicker payment schedule.
The magic words are "If…then":
- "If we include the extra onboarding, then we‘d need you to sign a 2-year contract."
- "If you need a 5% discount, then we‘d have to reduce the support package."
See what we did there? We made a unilateral demand bilateral. By offering a conditional "if/then" trade, top dealmakers reframe one-sided demands into reciprocal give-and-takes.
4. Have Your Counterpart Propose the Final Terms
Savvy dealmakers know there‘s power in going second. Once you‘ve finalized most of the terms and narrowed the gap, put the onus on your counterpart to propose the final deal.
This tactic, known as a "final offer gambit," is a highly effective way to extract additional concessions and close the deal on your terms.[^3] The psychology behind it is twofold:
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The other party feels empowered by getting to define the final offer, making them more likely to accept it.
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They‘ll make a more reasonable final proposal than if you went first, in order to avoid risking an impasse by overreaching.
The key is to frame it collaboratively, not confrontationally. For example:
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"I think we‘re getting close. Why don‘t you put together a final proposal that works for both of us, and let‘s see if we can shake hands on it?"
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"We seem aligned on the major points. I‘ll let you take a stab at proposing final terms. If it‘s something I can work with, I‘m ready to sign today."
By putting the final offer in their court, you gently pressure them to move closer to your position, while giving them the illusion of control.
5. Use the Flinch
Based on FBI hostage negotiation techniques, the "flinch" is a subtle but powerful tactic for knocking your opponent off balance and gaining the upper hand.[^4]
The concept is simple: whenever the other party makes an offer, flinch as if they said something mildly offensive or surprising. You could:
- Physically recoil or sit back in your chair
- Widen your eyes and raise your eyebrows in surprise
- Tilt your head and pausing briefly in confusion
- Verbally express surprise or disbelief (e.g. "wow" or "oh")
This tactical flinch communicates nonverbally "What you just said seems way out of line." It makes the other side uncomfortable and puts them on the defensive. They‘ll often respond by moderating their offer or justifying it further.
Why is this effective? The flinch exploits our human need to be socially accepted and avoid awkward interactions.[^5] By flinching, you‘re signaling social disapproval of their offer, which makes them think "Oops, maybe that was too much, let me backtrack."
Of course, use it judiciously and don‘t overdo it into caricature. But deployed subtly, the flinch is a jedi mind trick for dealmakers.
Putting It All Together
The road to dealmaking mastery is paved with preparation, creativity, and chutzpah. By employing these five proven tactics, you‘ll be well on your way to becoming the ultimate dealmaker.
Remember to look beyond positions to underlying interests. Let the other party anchor first to gain information. Trade, don‘t cave unilaterally. Have them propose final terms so you can extract further concessions. And when needed, deploy a well-timed flinch to knock them off balance.
But most importantly, keep honing your skills with every negotiation. Dealmaking is a muscle that grows stronger with practice. With enough reps, you too can become a top dealmaker.
So go make it rain. The corner office awaits.
[^1]: Galinsky, A. D. (2004). Should you make the first offer? Negotiation, 7(7), 1-4.[^2]: Ames, D., & Mason, M. (2015). Tandem anchoring: Informational and politeness effects of range offers in social exchange. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(2), 254-274.
[^3]: Kwon, S., & Weingart, L. (2004). Unilateral concessions from the other party: concession behavior, attributions, and negotiation judgments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(2), 263-278.
[^4]: Voss, C. (2016). Never split the difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
[^5]: Van Kleef, G. A., De Dreu, C. K. W., & Manstead, A. S. R. (2004). The interpersonal effects of emotions in negotiations: A motivated information processing approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(4), 510-528.
