the art and science of strategic dealmaking

about the book

a field guide for where
real deals are done.

a practical guide for professionals who operate where real deals are done — in environments full of incomplete information, shifting agendas, and humans who don't behave like case studies promise.

drawing on twenty years of complex deals in payment technology and banking software across five continents, mehdi el akari breaks down the quiet mechanics behind strategic dealmaking: the psychology, timing, structure, and influence that determine whether a deal advances — or quietly dies in someone's inbox.

not a motivational book. a clarity book — for people who want more precision, more calm, and more leverage when the stakes are high and the path is anything but linear.

what the book delivers

complex deals rarely fall apart because of pricing models or spreadsheets. if business were that rational, this book would be three pages long.

instead, real dealmaking lives in the messy intersection of human behavior, timing, culture, incentives, and the quiet politics no one admits exist.

this book brings together the art of reading people, momentum, and organizational dynamics with the science of structured frameworks, strategic sequencing, and repeatable execution. it reveals how deals are truly initiated, advanced, blocked, revived, and closed — well beyond the theory found in corporate playbooks.

decode power structures and identify the real decision-maker behind the decision-maker
navigate agendas, cultural nuances, and the emotional undercurrents shaping every negotiation
create movement when a deal stalls, collapses, or mysteriously "goes for internal alignment"
design offers that survive scrutiny, competition, and shifting priorities
combine analytical rigor with practical intuition to close deals that endure

if you've ever wondered why some deals die for reasons no one can articulate, and others succeed despite all logic, this book finally explains both.

field-tested

32 real-world stories from two decades of international deal rooms

the turkey-voting-for-christmas deal

selling to a ghost

the road trip that sealed the deal

winning by walking away

the coffee hostage crisis

when the client writes your bonus check for you

the one-month miracle

the ghost of "his highness"

what's inside

twenty-five chapters. one through-line.

read the room, not the slide

decode power structures and identify the real decision-maker behind the decision-maker — before the first meeting.

stakeholder mapping

navigate agendas, cultural nuances, and the emotional undercurrents shaping every negotiation — visible and invisible.

the mechanics of demand

create movement when a deal stalls, collapses, or mysteriously "goes for internal alignment."

cultural chess

design offers that cross borders — adapting to the cultural registers, hierarchies, and unstated norms that shape every international deal.

the psychology of the deal captain

understand the psychology of the buyer, the internal champion, and the saboteur. become the person who holds the room.

closing without pushing

combine analytical rigor with practical intuition to close deals that endure — without manufactured urgency.

the journey

25 chapters. 5 parts.

part 1

setting the stage

what is a strategic deal? (and what it's absolutely not)
it all starts with a powerful vision
understanding customer needs
the magic of metaphors, storytelling, and branding
the danger of no-deal

part 2

mapping your stakeholders

know your stakeholders
your contacts do not matter, you can build your relationship from scratch
enjoying the relationship
cultural chess: navigating cross-border dealmaking

part 3

psychology of dealmaking

be strategic and tactical at the same time
the psychology of the deal captain
authentic salesmanship
respecting the competition
greed and fear
360-degree salesmanship
surviving the lows of dealmaking
the design of sales incentives

part 4

designing the proposition

sophisticated simplicity
strategic positioning
business case
building the winning team

part 5

bridging the gap

dealing with formal processes (RFPs)
delivering great demos
negotiating with large groups
closing the deal

about the author

mehdi el akari

mehdi el akari has spent over twenty years closing complex deals in payment technology and banking software — an industry where sales cycles are long, stakeholders are many, and the word "yes" is rarely the end of the story.

based in the United Arab Emirates, he has led strategic deals across five continents and speaks regularly at industry forums on strategic selling, negotiation, and the political mechanics behind high-stakes B2B transactions.

twenty years of deal rooms will teach you that trust, groundedness, and a clear head are worth more than any closing technique ever written. this book is the long version of that lesson.

linkedin.com/in/mehdielakari

the art and scienceof strategic dealmaking

a field guide for wherereal deals are done.