Dealonomics

‘Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.’

Salaryman and you have been brilliant so far. You have now done as much as you can, without actually getting down, dirty and negotiating the deal you want.

You have assessed the state of the economy and how this impacts on you getting what you want.

You know how to manage those first impressions and brand product You, and you feel positive about yourself.

You know when to move into sales mode or when to trade, or when to make different choices.

You have evaluated your level of power in the deal, and know how to leverage more power from the situation.

You have tested your value in the market, and built Value Propositions to use in a face-to-face encounter.

You even have a strategy to achieve your goals, and have worked out how far you will and won’t go on all the important Issues in the deal.

And you appreciate that the other person’s decision will be driven on two levels – business and personal.

To get what you want in the direct engagement, you need to tell the other party what it is that you want, and let them know what they can expect in return. Listen to their counter-proposals, find flexibility in the Ball Park for your Key Issues, use your Secondary Issues or Marbles to fine-tune the value, and then look for signs to close the deal.

Dr Peter F. Drucker (Austrian-born management theorist; 1909–2005) said, ‘I will tell you a secret: dealmaking beats working. Dealmaking is exciting and fun, and working is grubby.’ When you get into your groove – when you start having fun – you will know that you are making the right moves.

When you meet for the negotiation, you have to put your best foot forward. There is a protocol to setting the scene.

You must decide if your meeting is going to be a conversation or if you’ll use a presentation. Think about where you will be meeting, and how this will impact on the discussion. Plan your introduction, and what you will say at the close of the meeting. The middle bit is where we will focus in this chapter, so don’t be concerned that I’m glossing over it for the moment. You need to get the best possible head start – to be in pole position.

There are loads of articles and books on how to conduct oneself in a meeting, so I’m not going to explore this subject in detail. What I will do, in case you feel left in the lurch, is give you a few pointers on the structure of the meeting from an article on www.dumblittleman.com. The article has been edited.

Ten Tips for a Successful Meeting

Whenever you get the chance to sit down and have a meeting with someone important, it’s best to make it as productive as possible. It’s also a chance to leave a lasting impression of who you are and what you have to offer. Here are 10 ways to help you do that.

Ask for an agenda prior to the meeting
If there’s not one available, offer to create one to help keep the meeting focused and on track. If the meeting is less formal, be sure the goal of the meeting is at least agreed by both parties.
Dress to impress
Not much needs to be said about this, except that it is more important than you probably think. Even if your normal dress is fairly casual, step it up a few notches. You want the other person to take notice of you.
Take notes during the meeting
This shows that you are listening and that you plan to review what was discussed later. It also indicates that you are already noting any follow-up actions.
Show enthusiasm and positivity
Just like you do for a job interview, put on the shiny-happy hat.
Bring solutions
Never enter a meeting if you don’t have at least one proposal prepared. If the meeting is a complaint, have at least one solution. Ideally you should take two or three possible solutions.
Build rapport
Make a connection with the other person. Do your research and be prepared for a little small talk. If you know they play golf, ask if they have played any interesting courses recently. Demonstrate your social skills.
Show vision
Don’t be afraid to voice big ideas. Show your understanding (or curiosity) for the bigger picture. Don’t limit yourself by sticking to topics related only to your job. Show broad interest and they’ll start looking at you with more interest.
Ask clarification questions
Don’t ever say that you understand something if you don’t. People nod and go along with things in a meeting thinking that they can figure it out later. Do not leave that office with questions.
Send thanks
Either by email, mail or telephone, let the other person know you appreciate the time they spent with you. Even if you see the person every day, be sure to say a special thank you.
Follow up
If you leave with a list of action items, try to agree on dates when they should be accomplished. Then follow through and meet that deadline. Talking big and not following through is pointless. The other person will notice.

In the section on ‘The power of the proposal’, it became clear that you must know what you want before you engage to get what you want. And to tell someone what you want, you present them with a proposal. Depending on the situation, your proposal would have a persuasion or a negotiation bent. We covered selling-driven proposals in Value Propositions, so now our attention moves to presenting negotiation-based proposals.

Negotiating proposals are rooted in trading, and trading is driven by proposals, so put on your quid pro quo boots and let’s go. But who goes first? Should you make the first move, or wait to hear what the other person has to say?

Many people are reluctant to make the first proposal. What if you ask for what you want and the other person laughs at you? Is it a lack of confidence that stops you from going first? Perhaps you want to first hear what they have to say before you make your proposal? Or are you hoping that their proposal will be better than the one you would have made?

In dealmaking, the most common motivation for not making the first proposal is that we hope that if we ask the other person to ‘make us an offer’, they will offer us more than we wanted. People don’t go first because they are essentially greedy. You can protest as much as you like, but it doesn’t change the truth. We want to hear the other person’s offer just in case it would be better for us than our own.

The problem with letting the other person make the first move is that they make it on their terms, and table what they want. This is seldom a better deal than the one you would have tabled. How do I know this? The school of very hard knocks that my fellow dealmakers and I have attended.

My studies suggest that the vast majority of people are disappointed by the offer they get when they let the other person go first. Experiment with this if you like, but you will probably regret it later. Rather be brave and tell the other person what you want from the outset.

Regardless of who makes the first move, once that first proposal is on the table, it becomes the de facto starting point for the deal. It is difficult to move a person up from a low-ball position without making them look greedy or like complete fools.

You need to make the first move. You want your proposal to be the starting point for the negotiation. Yes, it may be rejected, but at least your Ball Park is on the table. It’s like the game noughts and crosses: the person who makes the first mark usually wins.

There are only two exceptions to the ‘you must make the first proposal’ rule.

Exception number one – if you have absolutely no idea how much something is worth, you may have to allow the other person to go first. However, it is better to get an indication of the value from someone else (preferably not the person sitting opposite you) so that you can still open. Do your homework.

The second exception – when you have made a mistake. In the meeting, let the other person tell you what they want you to do to put things right. Sometimes they will want an apology, and other times it will be compensation. At least with compensation you can negotiate the amount, but you may just be able to get away with an apology.

Looking at your Ball Park, where should you pitch your first proposal? What are the names for the three Key Issues positions in the Ball Park? One is not called the ‘Opening’ for nothing. You open with your first proposal positioned as high as possible, but without getting thrown out of the other party’s Ball Park.

How can you tell if what you are asking for is too much? The first position you prepare for your Ball Park is your ‘Likely’ position. Once you know what you realistically expect to get, your Opening position becomes more obvious. Adjust your Likely position for each of your Key Issues upwards until you reach the point where you still think you are being reasonable, but you are pushing the envelope. Use this position to open your negotiation. If you are too far from your Likely, you will be outside their Ball Park.

When you put your first proposal on the table, the other party is probably going to want you to move. If your first proposal is your ‘Likely’ position, you will still be pressured to move down towards your ‘Bottom Line’. Opening as high as possible gives you maximum flexibility. You do, though, need to keep the total package value in sight. Whenever anyone wants any movement from you, top up the package value with your Marbles.

It is crucial to remember that throwing your whole Opening package on the table can be daunting for the other side, and even though it might be within their Ball Park, they could baulk at the magnitude of what you want.

As a general rule, if you present your Key Issues item by item, you will secure a better deal for yourself. Get as much agreement or input on an item as you can before moving to the next Issue. Conversely, if the other party is making a proposal to you, understand the full picture – all the items in their Ball Park – before you respond to any proposals.

When things start going your way, do not be greedy. Stick to your Ball Park, and use a few Marbles if you need to adjust the overall value of the deal. Greed will blow your deal. That’s a promise.

The words you use when you are negotiating a deal really matter. Give careful consideration to your communication. It goes a long way in helping you get what you want, especially when it comes to selling and negotiating.

Can you recall the definition of a dealmaker? It is someone who is ‘skilled in using instinct, processes and expertise in primarily negotiation, selling and communication’. The word ‘communication’ has been included for many reasons, not the least of which is the role it plays in effectively pitching your proposals. Choosing and using the right words help you to increase your control over the dealmaking process.

I once sent out an email recommending a life coach, copying in the coach. In the email I wrote, ‘She is awful’, instead of ‘She is awesome’. A genuine mistake. What, though, if the same thing happened in a hostage negotiation? One wrong word could cost a life. In business, one wrong word could mean the death of your deal.

When you make your Opening proposal – or any proposals, for that matter – it is important to use the ‘If you … then I’ language. But even when you get the wording right, expect the other party to want you to move or change some aspect of your proposal.

How do you move without diminishing the value of your proposal or losing face? Firstly, use the ‘If you’ phrasing to make it quite clear, from the beginning, that there are going to be conditions attached to any moves you make. Secondly, show a willingness to move on condition you get something in exchange for the move.

Having a pre-prepared Ball Park and lots of Marbles means that moving should not be that difficult, but it does not mean that you should move just to make them happy. Any move on your part is a concession, so respond to their request for a move by saying, ‘If you want me to move on x, then I need you to move on y.’ Once the other party understands that you will move, but for each move you expect something in return, they tend to stop demanding the moves. Moving is very, very difficult without lots of Marbles.

There are a few easy techniques for giving and getting that will help you to make the most of the proposals on the table.

For your proposal to have maximum impact, it needs to be clear, specific and concise. Say fewer words and say them more slowly. Less is more when it comes to making a proposal.

There is a delightful illustration of this in the 2002 film Sweet Home Alabama, when Jake Perry (played by Josh Lucas), the southerner American husband of Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon), says to her, ‘Honey, just ’cause I talk slow doesn’t mean I’m stupid.’ And Jake is anything but stupid. Don’t worry about what the other person thinks if you talk slowly.

Success is in the semantics. Not only must the structure you use to present your proposals be clear and concise, but the actual words you use when you are selling or negotiating must be succinct as well. Carefully chosen words help to increase the control you have when you sell or negotiate. Think before you speak, and speak slowly when you do speak.

What you say and what the other party hears might not be the same thing, so in addition to choosing your words carefully, you must check that the other person appreciates exactly what you mean. Just as less is more when it comes to making a proposal, slow is good for understanding proposals.

Don’t muddle up the ‘If you … then I’ with clarification or justification or anything else. Save the explanations for Step 3 of the above process, which is when you have the opportunity to make sure the other person understands your proposal, and to persuade them on the merits of what you have presented.

Although you need to use fewer words, and use them more slowly when making a proposal, don’t skimp on the essential details. It’s the unnecessary verbiage you need to reduce, not the vital particulars.

Ensure that what you want and what you are prepared to give them to get what you want is stated very precisely.

‘If you give me a total salary package of R824 000 per annum, excluding company contributions, then I will be prepared to take a car allowance of R30 000 instead of a company car.’ Saying, ‘If you pay me R824 000 then I will be okay with the rest of what you said,’ is way too vague – R824 000 before a car allowance is deducted? Or R824 000 for you to get the job and no car and no car allowance? Or R824 000 total cost to company?

Even when you are being perfectly reasonable, there will be people who respond badly to your proposals. If you know that there is no logical reason for them to be negative, the issue may be one of personality. Many people, myself included, reject proposals for the simple reason that it makes them feel as if they are being told what to do or being backed into a corner.

When you recognise that you are dealing with a dissenter, try the ‘either/or’ approach. Present the person with two or three proposals to consider. This gives them a sense of control, and people who rebel generally have control issues. Use their quirks of character to your advantage.

If the other person manages to get their proposal on the table first, don’t think that it’s going to be what you want to hear. They will begin with the Opening position in their Ball Park. In other words, if your objective is to earn more for a position, their ideal is probably to pay you as little as possible. It is difficult to move people from their Opening position, especially if they are unskilled dealmakers.

Equally, if they are responding with a counter-proposal to a proposal you have made, it may be closer to what you want, but you still need to know how to handle this proposal.

Just as there are guidelines for making proposals, there are three key guidelines for receiving a proposal:

Keep absolutely quiet and still when someone is making a proposal, or responding to your proposal. Listen carefully to what is being said and what is not being said. It is a little like playing poker – be silent until the other person has played their hand and settled back into their chair.

Make sure you know exactly what you are being offered. Do not let assumptions go untested. Do not move forward until you have the details – as much as you need to be specific when stating your conditions and offers, get this from the other party. State their proposal back to them to check you have understood everything correctly. The techniques for extracting sensitive information apply here.

When you know exactly what the other person has offered you, don’t say no and don’t say yes. Calculate the value of what they want, and decide what value you want in exchange for giving them what they want. Basically, trade value for value. And keep trading until you hit Marbles. Once you spot Marbles coming onto the table, it is time to close the deal.

What exact words must you use to respond to a proposal? ‘If you do this for me, then I will give you what you want.’

Whether you are making or receiving a proposal, be sure to keep your emotions in check. Emotion makes us irrational, and irrational behaviour destroys deals.

If you feel you are going to lose your cool, or find yourself getting excited or upset during the dealmaking encounter, take a break. Give yourself time to think or to get input from someone not emotionally invested in the transaction. Emotion in a deal is like a ‘tell’ in poker – it wins or loses you the hand.

In Chapter 3, under the heading ‘Information is the key’, we figured out that information is power only once it is converted into knowledge. Do the same rules apply when you are giving information? When you are face to face, how will the information you disclose benefit or prejudice your position?

It doesn’t matter whether you are giving or getting information, the judicial use of information gives you power. Don’t assume, though, that misinformation – lying or fibbing or embellishing or exaggerating – gives power. You will usually do yourself more harm than good if you talk baloney.

If you fabricate anything (maybe the salary you are earning) and the other person discovers the truth, your credibility and negotiating power go to hell in a hand basket. Being caught out in a lie also makes the other party mistrust everything else you have said or will say.

People lie because they think it gives them an advantage of some sort. They may get away with it occasionally, or gain a short-term benefit, but in the long term ‘the truth will out’. What does it say about you if you are a liar? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Someone worthy of respect and trust? Absolutely not.

It does not matter if you are lying to yourself or to someone else, nobody respects a liar and nobody wants to do business with one.

The intelligent use of information is a carefully calculated source of power. When you set expectations, you get the other person thinking in the way you want them to think. You can pass information to them directly, or drop little clues.

Setting expectations can range from making brazen, ‘in-your-face’ type offers to subtle hints and suggestions. Choose whatever will work best for you in a specific situation.

If you want examples of how this is used in everyday life, have a look at an advert for a luxury brand – soap, watch, car, handbag, whatever. Where do you see the words ‘cheap’ or ‘bargain’? Nowhere. I love the recent Louis Vuitton campaign that features exquisite photographs of celebrities. One that caught my eye has Steffi Graf lying against Andre Agassi, with a handbag in the background. It only says, ‘Is there any greater journey than love?’

The correct use of information gives you power. Providing the other person with details that substantiate or help your case does not happen by accident. You need to plan what to disclose and what not to disclose.

Disclosing information is an art. The rules that apply to one deal may not apply to the next. A question for you – should you disclose your profit margin? Believe it or not, there are times when showing your profit to someone can be very helpful in protecting your margin. Obviously, if you are making huge profits, the last thing you want to do is open your books, but if your margins are tight, it could be the best possible strategy.

Do you know how to divert attention away from sensitive questions that you do not want to answer? Blocking the question with ‘I am not prepared to disclose that’ or ‘No comment’ is seen as obstructive and does nothing for your power.

If you suspect someone will abuse the information they want from you, simply saying, ‘I will not share that,’ is lame. Assume a customer asks you for your profit margin on a contract and you do not want to disclose this. By saying, ‘I will not answer that,’ you are giving lots of information away. You are obviously earning too much profit, because if it was too little, you would probably disclose the information.

So, how do you avoid disclosing information you don’t want to give? If you are thinking, ‘Ask them a question,’ well done! Here are a few examples of deflective questions:

People are generally flattered by your interest in them and asking a question is the easiest way to distract the other person from the information they are pursuing.

Let’s go back to a more practical example – applying for the job of marketing manager. In our example, you are currently earning R620 000 and you want to earn R850 000. It’s a big jump, and you are concerned that if the interviewing human resources person knows your current salary, it will prejudice you. Sure enough, they ask, ‘What are you currently earning?’

Working with the four points above on using information when face to face, how do you handle this question?

Do not lie. If you fib and get the job, the human resources person may ask you or your previous employer for a copy of your payslip. Then what?

In this case, you would say to the interviewer, ‘Before I answer that, one of the reasons I am leaving my current employer is because I am severely underpaid for the work I do and the value I add to my organisation.’ You have set the other person’s expectations that you are expecting a big increase on your current income. Once the expectation is set, you can answer the question.

What if you have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with your current employer and are not permitted to disclose this sort of information? Firstly, you need to disclose to the human resources person that you have signed an NDA. Secondly, you need to tell the human resources person that should they offer you the job, you would be more than willing to give them a copy of your payslip once the NDA has lapsed. Then go on to tell the human resources person what you expect to earn.

When you are asked the question about your current salary, simply reply, ‘I’m not sure that is important at this stage. Are my current responsibilities not more relevant?’ You have ducked the question and redirected the conversation to where you want it to go.

Practise these techniques at home, on your friends and with strangers you meet. You will be amazed at how quickly you will control the conversation.

At the end of the last chapter, we spoke about what people need versus what they want. The distinction was drawn between business outcomes or Needs (linked to Key Issues), and personal hot buttons or Wants (Secondary Issues).

We are going to step deeper into the murky world of interpreting human motivation. When you observe someone else’s behaviour, you are able to better understand what motivates them at a business and a personal level. You can then modify your own behaviour to help you get the deals you want.

Is this being unethical or manipulative? No, it is being smart. People do deals with other people for reasons that are often illogical. People do deals with people they like – people with whom they can identify. We are expected to understand what drives business needs, so why should we not also understand human drivers? There is no point in treating other people as if they are unemotional robots or machines. This benefits nobody.

Not for one minute am I suggesting that you change who you are or your personality. We are talking about behaviour here, and behaviour is defined as ‘the action or reaction of something under specific circumstances’. So our behaviour does and should change, in line with the circumstances. Once you read a little further, you will realise that in adjusting your behaviour when you interact with another person, you are far more likely to build a relationship with them.

In all three of my previous books, I went into detail on how to analyse another person’s behaviour. We are not going to get quite as analytical here, so if you want more detail, please read one of my other books, or Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself by Florence Littauer.

To get to grips with analysing behaviour, we will profile behaviours – but not people. It may interest you, though, to know that behind all psychological assessment tools there is a classification system of some sort.

For those who have read my previous books, I have attempted to keep the general terminology and concepts in this book consistent.

We are going to be working with four main behavioural styles, plotted in the quadrants below.

The quadrants are intended to help us classify the major behavioural styles that we are likely to encounter in business. There is obviously an enormous amount of theory behind a concept of this nature, but for our purposes, simple is good.

As a start, try to figure out your own behavioural style. Are you more Aggressive (dominant) or Agreeable (relaxed)? More Receptive (warm) or Sceptical (cool)? Choosing one word on each axis will help identify the primary quadrant that best describes your general behaviour. We’ll focus on your ungeneral behaviour later.

When you are meeting a person for the first time, try to figure out into which quadrant they fit so that you can interact effectively with that person. This is imperative when it comes to selling and negotiating (or doing deals by any other means).

In dealmaking, the most important axis is the Aggressive vs Agreeable alignment. People who are Aggressive (A-type, dominant) are inclined to be competitive, decisive and distributive. These characteristics increase the potential for tension and conflict in dealmaking.

Agreeable people (B-type, relaxed) are typically passive, easy-going, cooperative and collaborative, which means they are less confrontational but also less certain when making decisions.

Here is a light-hearted guide to assist you in identifying into which of the four quadrants someone’s behaviour falls. This will help you to relate more meaningfully to them, and to determine their personal Wants or hot buttons. Watch out – there are always exceptions to every rule. Constantly test your assumptions.

Expressives are confident, sociable, enthusiastic, energetic, impulsive, creative, charming, persuasive, supportive, flighty, manipulative, competitive, lacking in detail, undisciplined and overreactive, to name a few of their positive and negative traits.

If Expressives were birds, they would be peacocks. If they were animals, they’d be lions. If a suit from a deck of cards, the Diamonds.

Classic Expressives are Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Clinton and Sharon Osbourne.

When dealing with an Expressive – who is Receptive yet Aggressive – you need to keep the meeting light to avoid confrontation. Expressives want to be excited by the master plan, not bored with minutiae – and they lose interest easily. As they are ‘expressive’, you will know where you stand very quickly. These are enthusiastic people who will often show a positive initial reaction to a deal, but they also tend to change their minds.

Expressives are Aggressive, so they can get nasty if you push them or irritate them. The best way to deal with an Expressive is to excite them with what they will get out of a deal, and then go for the close. Tie the agreed deal down in writing as soon as you can.

The Diamonds? What do you think? Expressives enjoy life in the fast lane. They love glitz, glamour and excitement. Fabulous food, sparkling champagne and travel to exotic locations. They are great socialisers and inclined to name-drop. Although they can be rather flashy and materialistic, the excitement they seek may also be in the form of attention.

People will gravitate towards you because you are charismatic and engaging, but because of your love for showmanship, others may not take you seriously. And watch that ego!

Amiables are friendly, kind, people-orientated, sympathetic, considerate, willing, supportive, dependable, respectful, conflict-averse, unstructured, indecisive and easily intimidated.

Amiables are the doves of the bird world, and the giraffes of the animal kingdom. In a card deck, they are the Hearts.

Beyoncé is a typical Amiable, as are Sandra Bullock, John Cusack, Tom Hanks and Kate Middleton.

The Amiables, falling into the Receptive/Agreeable quadrant, are the ‘nice guys’ of the world. Amiables do not want to disappoint anyone, so when you are dealing with them, they can unwittingly send you the wrong signals. As a result of their inclination to be kind, they do not like to say ‘No’. This makes it difficult to gauge how they really feel about a deal.

You need to ensure that you understand an Amiable’s issues and concerns. Once you can show that you will address their issues, they are far more likely to give you a ‘yes’ answer. Like Expressives, Amiables are ‘warm’ people, so you need to tie the deal down as quickly as possible.

Amiables are happy – even if they don’t know you very well – to chat about their interests, hobbies, families, pets and even their personal lives. They will also show a genuine interest in your life.

Relationships, especially with family and friends, are extremely important to Amiables. They love that others love them, so they go to great lengths to keep this affection. They want to be included – parties, socials, charity or celebrity events – as they enjoy knowing what is happening in the lives of others. They also want to keep the peace, so harmony is essential to them. Lost causes and underdogs are their thing, and they are happy to be the shoulder on which others cry.

Others love you, but in business they are inclined to leave you out because they believe you are not able to make decisions. A bit more directness, albeit in your own kind manner, will serve you well. Watch out for being a martyr – others will take advantage of you.

Drivers are direct, independent, organised, determined, focused, pragmatic, loyal, results-orientated, demanding, critical, pushy, harsh, aggressive and competitive.

Drivers as birds would be hawks. As animals, great white sharks. Their card suit is Clubs.

Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon in the television series NCIS, is a Driver. So are Simon Cowell, Madonna, Sir Alan Sugar, me.

If you are dealing with someone who is Aggressive and Sceptical, you are dealing with a Driver. They will be cynical about what you are saying, and because they are forceful by nature, conflict and confrontation are never far away. They are comfortable with this kind of discord, but if you are not a Driver, it could make you uneasy. They can drive a hard bargain, but do not allow them to bulldoze you. Equally, avoid meeting ‘fire with fire’, as all hell could break loose. Hold your position in a firm but non-confrontational way.

Drivers will want to be able to measure and quantify value for value, so be sure to have the facts and figures on hand. At a personal level, try to behave unemotionally and assertively. This will help to keep the meeting constructive and reduce tension. On the upside, Drivers are decisive. Of all the behavioural styles, the one that will give you a direct answer, and is most likely to honour that decision, is the Driver.

Do not talk to Drivers about their families, dogs, private lives or anything personal until you have formed a decent relationship.

It can be hard to tell with a Driver, because they are low on emotion and expression. They are very driven, so career progress, results and recognition are important. Drivers like to get their own way, or be seen to be getting what they want. Like Expressives, their egos are big, so they can be materialistic and drawn to celebrity. Unlike Expressives, quality is more important than the brand. They enjoy more subtle statements of success – art collections, fine wines, tailored clothes. Extremely competitive, they enjoy the opportunity to prove themselves in any area in which they excel.

If your behavioural style is that of a Driver, pay attention to the pleasantries of the meeting, the feelings of the other people in the room and guard against appearing arrogant. Be careful of coming across as a rude, humourless git.

Analyticals are respectful, tactful, listeners, obedient, persistent, industrious, logical, systematic, orderly, deliberate, organised, detailed, consistent, cautious, tedious, and somewhat anal and stubborn.

Analyticals as birds are owls, as animals they are badgers, and in a deck of cards, they are the Spades.

Real-life Analyticals are Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Keanu Reeves and (no more, unfortunately) Princess Diana.

As Agreeable and Sceptical, Analyticals are cautious and will want a lot of detail and information from you. They need time to consider all facets of the deal, especially the value they will get in exchange for the value you expect. Include as many facts and figures as possible. Analyticals need to be sure that they are making a decision that is fair and well thought through. This takes time, which may not always suit you.

To get an Analytical to engage with you and give you a decision, you need to actively check if they need more information, and if they do, provide it. You should be gentle but firm if they are disappearing in a puff of detail. Push softly for an answer, but pushing too hard will provoke their stubborn side. Quantify, if you can, the importance of their making a decision.

As with Drivers, it can be hard to ascertain an Analytical’s hot buttons because of their high level of self-control. But as they are easy-going, it is easier to engage with an Analytical than a Driver. Any strong interests they have will come to the fore quite quickly, as they can be a bit obsessive. When talking about their areas of interest or hobbies, Analyticals can be surprisingly animated. All you need to do is probe and then encourage them to talk.

Analyticals are not usually showy, but this does not mean that they are not high achievers. They are just more subtle than the other three styles in expressing what they have achieved and what they want.

If you’re an Analytical, you need to feel personally comfortable with the people you deal with but, as with Amiables, try to communicate your decisions more openly. Watch out for that stubborn streak – it makes you irrational.

There is no right or wrong behavioural style. Each style has its positives and negatives, yin and yang, dark and light, good and bad. It is also not possible to categorise people absolutely accurately.

You will find that even if individuals belong to the same behavioural category, there will be substantial differences between them. People also change when they relax, socialise or are under pressure – a Driver may become more Amiable or Analytical, or an Expressive more like a Driver, and so on. This is what I referred to earlier as ungeneral behaviour.

How do you change when you are at work versus at home, or if you’ve had a few glasses of champagne, or if you are under huge pressure?

We all have a bit of each style in us, but we have a ‘primary’ behavioural style and a ‘secondary’ (or ungeneral) style. I will avoid getting into the secondary styles, as that level of analysis requires a lot more detail – and we have enough information using the four primary behavioural styles to press hot buttons and close deals more effectively.

Short answer? Yes. You need to modify your conversations and proposals to meet the other person’s behavioural style. When you do this, you present the deal in a manner in which the other person is more likely to respond positively.

Understanding someone else’s behavioural style helps you to build a relationship with that person, as you ‘speak their language’. People want to be treated as individuals, and for their specific Needs and Wants to be addressed. Avoiding the ‘one-size-fits-all’ mindset will serve you well in getting what you want.

A word in closing: you probably know from experience that it is impossible to change someone – only they can decide whether they want to change or not. What you can change, though, is your behaviour. Adjusting your behaviour to accommodate someone else’s style is not selling out. Adjusting your behaviour to make sure you get the deal you want is playing smart and being considerate.

Back to our example of applying for the marketing manager position. Assume you are now going to meet with the human resources manager. She greets you warmly, offers you tea and invites you into her office. You look around. There are photos of her with her children, the kids’ art is on her wall, there are three pot plants on her desk. What style is she likely to be? An Amiable.

Imagine, though, that you are presenting your curriculum vitae to four different people in the company, all of whom have different behavioural styles. How do you modify your behaviour to build rapport and give them what they Need and Want?

Be animated. Show enthusiasm. Talk about the big picture, the exciting ideas you have, and how you plan to bring new energy into the marketing portfolio. If you are doing a presentation, make it colourful and short. You can press them for an answer or a sign of buy-in during your interaction.

Be friendly and warm. Ask them questions about their family and interests beyond work. Show them how the work you do will focus on building relationships and harmony. They will be patient and supportive during your presentation, providing there is human-interest content.

Be polite and formal and get to the point. Do not talk pie in the sky – concentrate on outcomes and deliverables and results. Do not ask them about their family and do not go into too much detail. They will tell you what information they want. Your presentation must be concise and accurate. Have the supporting documents with you, but do not present them unless asked. You can ask directly for an answer. They will say yes or no, or tell you what they need from you to make a decision.

Be relaxed and pleasant, but not overly chummy. Be ready to answer many questions, and answer them in detail. Have as many facts and figures as possible on hand. Your presentation needs to show research and data. Do not push too hard for an answer, but find out what they need to know from you that will help them make a positive decision.

Being able to respond to the person with whom you are dealing by modifying your style will serve you well in business, and in life in general. Practise this with your family and friends, but keep it fun.