way to close the deal and preserve rapport is to be straightforward and direct: Ask for what you want.

Don’t Be a Starf*cker

Elliot: That’s really helpful. What would you recommend I do next?

2. At the beginning of the meeting, explicitly state the purpose of the meeting. Don’t assume that the buyer remembers

Put the Relevant Details Up Front

his primary goal. A no protects the buyer and saves time. The sooner he can feel good about saying no, the better.

• Closing over and over: It’s crucially important that you don’t use your closing technique to grind the buyer down or bully him or her into making a decision. That

not. Thus, developing rapport quickly is the first and most important ingredient of being good in a room.

expectations is being able to understand what those expectations are in the first place. To do this, you have to find out what your competitors are doing. How do they present