Deal and Deliver: Tools that Take the Uncertainty Out of Deals

By Simone Milasas, Worldwide Coordinator, Access Consciousness®

In all business exchanges involving money I use an approach called deal and deliver. When it comes to the financials, people tend to get vague or they talk around it, which makes it difficult to know or understand what there going to charge you. I’m the opposite. I am never vague about money; I am very exact.

You can trust people to do what they promise they'll do or you can ask questions that give you clarity about what's actually going to occur. Deal and deliver is a fantastic tool as it allows you to see what someone will deliver and what they won't deliver, so you'll always know what action to take.

Ask the following questions when dealing with people:

• What’s the deal?
• What exactly do you desire and require of me?
• What do I have to deliver?
• What exactly are you going to deliver?

You can use these 4 questions in business and informally. For example, if someone offers to do something for you, say, “That’s great. What’s the deal? What would you like for this?” No matter if it's a contractor or a friend, always be up front. That’s how you find out what’s actually in their head. You're not doing it to be mean or unkind. It's simply a way of looking at both sides of the bargain.Don’t expect other people to have the same values as you; everyone has different values and it’s not about making them right or wrong. When you ask, “What exactly are you going to deliver?” people have to get succinct about how the deal is going to work. If someone’s quoting for a job, I always ask for an exact figure. That way they can’t come back later and say, “Oh, we didn’t talk about the extra things that had to be done.”

It’s great to have an ironclad agreement, however don’t assume people will read it all. Years ago I was dealing with a number of investors in a company, I later realized that nobody had read the clause about it being a risk-investment. They all thought they were guaranteed to get their money back.To cover your tracks legally, get the other person to email back so you have verification that they've read the contract or agreement. In a verbal deal, ask them, “Have you read this? Do you have any questions?” And if you perceive they haven't got it fully, go over the agreement with them again. It will be worth it in the end.Further, when you find someone you like for the job at hand, consider if they will follow through. A lot of people are willing to start the work, but they're not willing to bring it to completion. To get more awareness, ask yourself, “Will they actually do this? Will they follow through? Are they willing to have the financial awareness?” And trust your gut instinct.So how do you handle it when someone isn't keeping up his or her end of the deal? Do not use confrontation; it won’t work, as people will always defend themselves. Do not try to justify or explain yourself either – instead use a little manipulation. Say, “I'm confused, can you help me please? I thought we agreed that...” Then they have to explain and fill in the gaps. When you take the position that you've missed something, people try to help you. This softer approach will elicit more information than confronting someone.Lastly, if the deal isn't working any more, rather than trying to control the other person or hold them to their agreement, make a change. Ask another question like, “Do we need to change this or do we need to end this?”[author]About the Author: Simone Milasas is a dynamic business leader with a difference. She has founded and operated many businesses from a young age and always done business different. Today, Simone Milasas is a director of multiple companies. For the last 14 years Simone has been the Worldwide Coordinator of Access Consciousness® helping grow the business into a multimillion-dollar company operating in 173 countries. Simone also presents seminars globally based on her popular book Joy of Business. You can get her free video series, Putting the Fun Back in Business here: www.accessjoyofbusiness.com/fun [/author]