Pearls of Wisdom was created by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to discuss work life balance and business development. It is a women’s networking initiative, allowing women better opportunities for improving their careers. This particular Closing the Deal event had a panelist of three successful women, Suzanne McCormick, CEO of United Way, Danielle Vona, Business Strategy and Marketing Executive of Marketing Posse and Hilarie Bass, Shareholder and Co-President of Greenberg Traurig, to answer some questions about how they are closing the deal and dealing with the pressure of being a woman in business.
When asked their secrets to closing the deal, all three women agreed that it is built on a relationship. The client has to feel they can trust your company. Danielle mentioned that it is helpful for her to act as if she is already working for the client. It lets the client vision what her company can do for them. When asked about challenges women run into while closing the deal, the women explained how fear of rejection is a problem for women. Susan mentioned she found it an advantage that women are more charming, which could be a positive factor in helping to close the deal.
One question asked how women can read body language while closing the deal. Hilaire mentioned that women excel at this. Reading body language comes naturally to women so they are able to see at an early stage if the tactic is working or if the deal needs to move in another direction. The panelists also described what to do when things get heated in a meeting. All three came to the consensus that staying calm and reading the situation is the best tactic. Danielle mentioned that asking for time is a great way to express the concerns you have about their problems and you will find a way to fix the situation.
The ladies were asked how to overcome objectives with clients. Suzanne mentioned it is important to understand the main points, make it clear to the client you want to understand their objectives. Being open is a great way to ensure you are acknowledging what they say. Danielle mentioned to always do your homework and try to know their concerns prior to attending any meeting.
The ladies were asked to define common misconceptions about closing the deal. Hilarie explained that a common misconception she comes across is that people expect business to come to you, but this is far from the truth. A lot of times, you have to ask for the deal or it won’t be given to you. Danielle mentioned a huge misconception is that people think it is about their own business, which is not true. The truth is that it is about the client, if the client is happy and feel they can trust your company, you will usually close the deal.
When asked about having mentors, all three ladies agreed it was important to have a mentor. Suzanne said there is always something we can learn and we can learn from interns as much as we can learn from CEO’s. Having a mentor is a great way to push yourself and really get to know the secrets in business.
These three successful business women gave incredible advice and really proved that women can be successful in their career. They talked about the positives and negatives that women’s emotions can bring to the table and how to close the deal with any type of client. Pearls of Wisdom-Closing the Deal was full of tips for everyone to use!
