It used to be that you could ignore RFPs. Only a small portion of the market used them in their buying process and you could work around those companies. Today, governance rules dictated by boards and administered by finance have made RFPs and RFQs a dominating component of the large-deal world. Not only can you no longer ignore them, but you need to know that companies use RFPs-and increasingly purchasing and procurement-for many reasons that have little to do with the opportunity offered in the official document. The result? We all have no choice but to go through the expensive and time-consuming process. And though you might like to believe the system is fair, if your company is pitching a disproportionately larger client, you're at a disadvantage from the moment you begin the process. WHY? Because the RFP system is not built for you. It's built for big companies and government institutions that benefit from RFPs. But no matter how hard you try to avoid them, there will inevitably come a day when that irresistible RFP lands on your desk. It's almost like it was written for you. This book is your best guide on what to know, to question and to do when faced with that RFP. It will also help you develop the confidence and understanding to know when to quit the process before it even starts or when to stay in it and win big.

An exploration of four dimensions of presentation design and delivery: Content, Creative, Conversation, and Confidence. Content may be an issue for you or your team if you routinely find: You are unable to present all your slides in the allotted time. Your presentation falls far short of the expected duration. Your audience derails your agenda, focusing on other topics. Your audience does not seem to grasp the concepts in your presentation or the desired next steps. Signs that may point to an issue within your creative: Your audience visibly winces at the color combinations or animation. If you lose your place when presenting, it's hard to get back on track because every slide looks essentially the same. Although you try not to, you find yourself reading your text-heavy slides to your audience. You avoid sharing your presentation with your internal brand team. You or your team may need to focus on conversation if: You are doing almost all the talking in your meetings. You shut down conversation in order to stay on your planned timing. You realize you've been talking for ten minutes about a topic that is not covered in your presentation content. You think of your major point as a big "reveal" and don't want to give anything away until you get there. You avoid rehearsal so that you will sound natural; you wing it. Signs you may have a perceived confidence issue Audience members have told you they could not hear or understand you. You rarely get questions from your audience. Audience members direct questions to other members of your team. You find yourself tongued-tied when asked to clarify a slide topic. You hear yourself, but cannot stop, using "um" in every sentence. In each section, learn how presenters "stray from center" by staying in their comfort zones, and how to return to center with specific recommendations. If you or your team struggle with aspects of developing or delivering compelling presentations, this book will provide a new toolbox and shared vocabulary. Includes checklists and assessments to bring the ideas to life.

Silver Winner--Tops Sales World's Best Sales and Marketing Book

Revealed: the winning blueprint for making deals like The Oracle of Omaha

Warren Buffett didn't become the world's third wealthiest individual on his investing instincts alone. Buffett is a master dealmaker. In fact, one of his greatest single successes came when he closed multiple deals to own 100 percent of the Government Employees Insurance Company--also known as GEICO.

Highly successful dealmakers themselves, Tom Searcy and Henry DeVries have been studying Buffett's unique approach for many years. Now, they reveal the secrets of the Oracle of Omaha. "How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett" gives you the 101 top deal-making maxims of a legend in his own time. Here's just a small sampling of what's inside:

Warren Way #22: Choose quality.
"It's better to own a portion of the Hope diamond than 100 percent of a rhinestone."

Warren Way #41: Deal making is a no-called-strike game.
"You don't have to swing at everything--you can wait for your pitch."

Warren Way #75. Think long term.
"Our favorite holding period is forever."

Warren Way #92. Don't do deals just to do deals.
"We don't get paid for activity, just for being right."

Warren Way #98. Think for yourself.
"My idea of a group decision is to look in the mirror."

Warren Way #99. Be honest in your deal making.
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it."

Searcy and DeVries round it all out with an abundance of their own expertise--approaches that, added up, have generated billions of dollars in new sales.

Take the advice in this hands-on guide and learn "How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett."

"How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett" reveals the method behind Buffett's near-mythic deal-making prowess. Guaranteed to help you come out on the right side of every deal

""Tom Searcy and Henry DeVries have done a masterful job of distilling Buffett's wisdom into a highly readable book you'll want to refer to again and again. A must-have for dealmakers "" -- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Leading at a Higher Level

""Almost anybody interested in deal making will find something of interest here. Simply the most important new book on deal making and big account sales strategy."" -- Marshall Goldsmith, author of the New York Times bestsellers MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

""Read this inspiring, advice-filled book to discover how you can leverage Warren Buffett's deal-making strategies to negotiate and win big contracts."" -- Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

""This book is Dale Carnegie reconfigured for the business world."" -- Thomas Barnett, contributing editor at Esquire and author of Great Powers: America and the World After Bush

""This is the first book we've read that truly explains how Buffett thinks and how his lessons can be applied to your business."" -- Neil Senturia and Barbara Bry, serial entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship columnists for U-T San Diego

It used to be that you could ignore RFPs. Only a small portion of the market used them in their buying process and you could work around those companies. Today, governance rules dictated by boards and administered by finance have made RFPs and RFQs a dominating component of the large-deal world. Not only can you no longer ignore them, but you need to know that companies use RFPs-and increasingly purchasing and procurement-for many reasons that have little to do with the opportunity offered in the official document. The result? We all have no choice but to go through the expensive and time-consuming process. And though you might like to believe the system is fair, if your company is pitching a disproportionately larger client, you're at a disadvantage from the moment you begin the process. WHY? Because the RFP system is not built for you. It's built for big companies and government institutions that benefit from RFPs. But no matter how hard you try to avoid them, there will inevitably come a day when that irresistible RFP lands on your desk. It's almost like it was written for you. This book is your best guide on what to know, to question and to do when faced with that RFP. It will also help you develop the confidence and understanding to know when to quit the process before it even starts or when to stay in it and win big.