Running In Circles…..

We engineer our selling processes, creating strict stages, critical activities in each stage, perhaps stage exit criteria. We believe that if we stick an opportunity in one side of the process, run it down our sales assembly line, there is a high probability we will exit with a Purchase Order in hand. At least that’s the theory….perhaps the dream.

We design our organizations, playbooks, scripts, and metrics based on this linear process. Marketing hands us MQLs, SDRs convert them to SQLs, setting up the next meeting and the opportunity/customer is passed to the next step in this linear process. It matches our need for structure, metrics, and feeling that we are in control.

Sometimes, we think, “We have to align with the customer buying process!” What happens, is we imagine a customer buying process that is linear, aligning perfectly with our selling process. The stages coincide, the activities mirror each other, and we are perfectly synchronized.

The reality is far different.

Our customers are running in circles—or one envisions the famous Gartner spaghetti chart. They start/stop, shift directions, shift priorities, change team members, redefine/refocus what they are trying to do.

When you dive into what they are doing, research shows the majority don’t agree on what a “need” is or how to prioritize them. And too often, they abandon the effort, not because they have solved the problem,

And we plod along, talking to some of those people, checking our boxes, going step by step through our linear process. We continue to apply linear thinking to a non-linear process! It’s no wonder that customers are frustrated, choosing rep-free buying, getting help from other sources.

We fail by imposing linear thinking on a non-linear process!

High performers in complex B2B selling, tend to be non-linear thinkers. They don’t see things as a set of sequential steps to be executed, rather they see the big picture of what the customer is trying to do. Non-linear thinking requires us:

• Seeing things in systems, rather than steps. They look at the “whole” process of the customer change, not just a series of meetings. A new stakeholder isn’t just another meeting in the continuation of the checklist, but can rewire the customer decision-making process. A change in management may lead to a shift in priorities. Looking at things as interacting systems enables the seller to adjust their strategies and continue to help the customer move through their buying process. At the same time, this kind of thinking can help the customer better envision what they are doing so they can more effectively navigate their process.
• They recognize the looping is normal. In our linear process, we often fail to recognize the customer has looped back in their buying process. We keep going through our steps, but the customer is in a different place. High performers understand this is a normal part of the process. New players may be involved, priorities may shift, the customer may shift priorities. They recognize these loops are, often, necessary helping the customer move forward.
• They help customers more effectively and efficiently navigate the loops. While looping will always happen, high performers help customers reduce and manage this, focusing on forward progress.
• They excel in pattern recognition. Every deal is messy, but they see recurring themes in the deals they manage. They recognize and are able to navigate these. They also recognize “patterns” that should be occurring that aren’t advising customers why they might consider these.
• They consider multiple paths to achieving the goal. They recognize there is not a single path to success, but are able to look at alternatives. They help customers navigate obstacles, and they adjust their own strategies to to the shifts the customers make in their project plans.
• They don’t abandon the process. They recognize the process is built on the experience of thousands of deals. They look at the process as providing direction and simplifying their strategy execution. But they recognize they have to adopt it to the customer, rather than forcing the customer into their process.
• They are non-linear thinkers. They don’t get into the react/respond loop, rather take time to step back, assess the whole situation, adjust their strategies, act and move forward.

Where do we go from here? Some thoughts:

1. For sellers: While our selling processes provide valuable direction, we need to step back from rigidly checking off the tasks. We need to look at the whole “system” driving the customer. We need to recognize their looping as part of their process, helping them navigate more effectively to the end. We always need to be aware of the bigger picture from the customer point of view, not narrowly focused on the people we are talking to. We need to incorporate this bigger picture into developing and executing our deal strategies.
2. For managers: Stop rigidly measuring your people on how many activities they have checked off. Coach them in how to step back, looking at their deals more holistically. Rather than focusing strictly on which stage and next activities, help them think about, “Where is the customer? What are the things we need to do to help them manage their looping and move their projects forward?
3. For our customers: Their process will never be a straight line, as much as we want it to be. Things happen, things change, as they navigate the process priorities shift. We can help them navigate this process, perhaps moving from endless loops or the “spaghetti” approach to a more “curvlinear” approach. Our goal is not to eliminate the complexity of what they are doing, but to help guide them through it more purposefully.

The future of selling isn’t about forcing straight lines that have never existed. Rather it’s recognizing the reality our customers face, helping them navigate to a successful outcome much more effectively.

Afterword:  Thanks to Klaus Leutbecher for his outstanding post, “Applying Non-Linear Thinking In Sales.”  It inspired this post.

Afterword:  This is an interesting AI led discussion this post.  It’s one of the more intriguing discussions I’ve listened to—and I wonder about their introduction of the “dark funnel.”  Sounds a little like the sales version of the dark web 😉 Enjoy!