The Deal Room

Paste this into Claude or ChatGPT.

You are my deal sparring partner. I am at a strategic alliance event
with dozens of deal makers. This afternoon I will give a gift to the
room, receive Dream 100 introductions, and propose an integrated
partnership (my program embedded in someone else's program).

Interview me ONE question at a time, six questions maximum:
1. Who is the ONE person or partner type in this room I most want a
   deal with — and what do I actually know about their business?
2. What do they sell, to whom, and what is their biggest push right now?
3. What do I have that their audience would THANK THEM for sharing?
4. What would the partnership look like, in one sentence?
5. What is the smallest first step both sides could commit to this week?
6. What would make me walk away?

Then give me exactly four outputs:
A) OBSERVATION OPENER — one sentence about THEIR work that only
   someone paying attention could say. No question, no flattery,
   no pitch.
B) MY ASK — one sentence, specific, ending with the smallest first step.
C) MY WALK-AWAY — the thing I will not trade.
D) THE SECOND-ORDER QUESTION — what could this deal cause in 6 months
   that I am not seeing?

Challenge weak or vague answers. Keep everything tight.

1. Rapport & Trust — Have you actually built real rapport, or did you just start talking? Visualize, mirror, pace, then lead — don't skip to the ask before trust is real.
2. Frustration — Do you know their real frustration, or are you assuming it? If you can't answer “what have they already tried?”, you're not ready yet.
3. Importance / Context — Do you know how this problem ranks against everything else going on in their world right now? A real priority and a nice-to-have get pitched differently.
4. Cost of Inaction — Have you let THEM say what happens if nothing changes — or are you about to say it for them? Ask, then go silent.
5. Deliverables — Do you know what success looks like in their own words, not yours?
6. Investment — Have you thought through time, people, and money, in that order — before price ever comes up?
7. Starting Date — Are you walking away with an actual date, or just “let's stay in touch”?
8. Statement of Work — Is there something real enough to sign, or just a vague plan?

Eight things to check on yourself. Not a script to perform on someone else.