Good morning and welcome to The Closer, the newsletter all about deals. Today’s edition is short and sharp — one tactic, backed by research, to help you negotiate smarter. No headlines, no noise — just a Nugget you can deploy by lunchtime.
If you have a friend trying to work something out – a big deal, a tricky negotiation – please forward this to them.
Join the community by following us on X and Linkedin.
QUESTION
MIMICRY
Closer Tactic #51 • Deal Psychology
Most people have their own communication style.
Winners mirror their counterpart's question words.
The Nugget
When both negotiators mirror each other's question terminology, joint gains jump 56%.
Marc Benioff of Salesforce is known for adapting his questioning style to match his counterparts. In acquisition talks, he mirrors whether targets prefer "How might we..." vs "What if we..." phrasing. This linguistic alignment helped Salesforce complete over 60 acquisitions with remarkably few failed deals.
Research shows your brain interprets linguistic similarity as trustworthiness and cooperation.
How to Deploy
• Listen for their question patterns: How does that sound? vs What do you think?
• Adopt their interrogative style within 2-3 exchanges
• Mirror their formality level: "Could you..." vs "Can you..."
Avoid obvious parroting. Subtle linguistic alignment works; obvious copying feels manipulative.
Takeaway
Imitation isn't just flattery—it's a 56% joint gain boost.
Reply with a time you unconsciously mirrored someone's style—
we might feature you (and send a mug).
