title: "Deal Playbook" created: 2026-04-06T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-04-06T18:10:00.000Z tags: [sales, deals, strategy, closing] order: 1
Deal Playbook
"Know the customer. Match the pitch. Close with confidence. Then throw in a free sample because generosity is good business."
This is our field-tested guide to closing every type of customer who walks through the door at 93 Diagon Alley. Fred wrote the first draft. Verity rewrote it so it would actually work.
Customer Closing Matrix
| Customer Type | Approach | Key Phrase | Close Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogwarts Students (Gryffindor) | Dare them. Demo the boldest product first. | "Only the brave ones buy this." | 72% |
| Hogwarts Students (Slytherin) | Exclusivity play. Premium packaging. | "This is from our private collection." | 68% |
| Hogwarts Students (Ravenclaw) | Explain the magic. Show the R&D process. | "The charm work on this is genuinely elegant." | 61% |
| Hogwarts Students (Hufflepuff) | Warmth. Bundles. Sharing packs. | "This one's perfect for your whole common room." | 75% |
| Ministry Officials | Compliance first, fun second. Emphasize safety ratings. | "Fully Ministry-approved. Mostly." | 44% |
| Muggles (via Muggle liaison) | Wonder and spectacle. Start with the visual products. | "You've never seen anything like this. Literally." | 38% |
| Wholesale (Honeydukes etc.) | Volume discounts, co-marketing, seasonal bundles. | "Our margins are your margins." | 82% |
| Parents | Safety data, gift packaging, "educational" framing. | "It teaches them about cause and effect." | 55% |
Deep Dives by Type
Hogwarts Houses
The students are our core market. 60% of revenue, 90% of word-of-mouth. House identity drives purchasing decisions more than anything else:
- Gryffindors buy on impulse and dare. Put the product in their hand, demo it, and say "not everyone can handle this." Sold.
- Slytherins buy on status. Gold packaging, limited editions, anything their friends can't get. The Collector tier exists because of Slytherins.
- Ravenclaws buy on cleverness. They want to understand HOW it works. Let George explain the spell engineering. They'll buy it AND write an essay about it.
- Hufflepuffs buy for sharing. Party packs, group experiences, anything that brings people together. Highest loyalty rate of any house.
Ministry Officials
Tricky but lucrative. They buy quietly and in cash. Lead with safety certifications, Ministry-approved labels, and the phrase "recreational enchantment within regulatory guidelines." Never mention the Portable Swamp Taffy.
Muggles (Arthur Weasley's Favourite Customers)
Through the Muggle liaison program (mostly Arthur bringing his friends), we occasionally sell to non-magical folk. The key: lean into wonder. Everything is genuinely magical to them. Start with Patronus Pop Rocks (visual, harmless, unforgettable). Memory charms on standby per Ministry protocol.
Wholesale Partners
Honeydukes is our biggest wholesale account. The pitch: we handle the marketing spectacle, they handle shelf space. Co-branded seasonal bundles perform 40% better than standard product. Always negotiate on volume, never on margin.
Closing Tips from the Floor
- Always demo. A product in someone's hand sells 3x better than one behind glass.
- Name-drop. "Harry Potter bought this" is technically true for several products and works every time.
- Bundle up. Average basket size jumps 25% when you suggest "and this goes perfectly with that."
- Scarcity works. "We only made 200 of these" (true or aspirational) creates urgency.
- The Fred Finish. End every sale with: "You're going to have a brilliant time with that." Smile. Mean it.
See [[Sales]] for pipeline and CRM data. See [[Marketing]] for campaign coordination.