What’s Their DEAL?

Have you ever thought, “I’m trying to negotiate with them, but it’s like we are speaking a different language. What’s their deal?”

Maybe you mentally run through a checklist of how to improve your communication.

Do they prefer:
☑️more small talk to connect?
☑️facts and details?
☑️bullet points and the bottom line?
☑️to keep the conversation light and upbeat?

If you don’t know how a person prefers to communicate, it is not a deal breaker. To quickly assess how to ask powerfully, figure out how people prefer to deal with your request using the DEAL Strategy.

People usually prefer to use one or two of these communication styles:

Decide
Engage
Accommodate
Leverage

If you don’t know how a person prefers to communicate, it is not a deal breaker. To quickly assess how to ask powerfully, figure out how people prefer to deal with your request using the DEAL Strategy.

People usually prefer to use one or two of these communication styles:

Decide
Engage
Accommodate
Leverage

While everyone possesses all of these DEAL styles, usually people prefer to use one or two. Here’s what to know about negotiating and communicating with those who prefer the Decide DEAL Style.

Deciders

Deciders are serious and effective. They are action-oriented and like to make decisions. They are big-picture focused and want to quickly determine the bottom-line. Basically, Deciders are decisive.

What doesn’t work: Don’t have a lot of chitchat with unnecessary details. Don’t waste their time. Deciders like questions that make them think.

How to negotiate: Ask right away and be ready to back up your request with supportive facts or examples. Use logic instead of emotion.

Here’s how to DEAL with those who prefer to Engage.

Engagers

Engagers are outgoing and connect well with people. Engagers are fun and relationship driven. They are empowering and want to inspire and encourage as well as connect. Often the life of the party or the most exciting person in the room, Engagers are entertaining.

What doesn’t work: Boring facts and serious information with no connection to people.

How to negotiate: Ask them for innovative and inspirational ideas.

The best negotiators adjust their styles to accommodate others’ DEAL preferences. We’ll talk about the other two DEAL styles (Accommodate and Leverage) later.

Want to determine someone’s DEAL style so you can negotiate and communicate better with them? Take the free Assessment: What’s Their Deal and use “eTips” as the code.