Mastering the "Rule of Three" for Sales: An Easy Guide

(5 Minute Read)

The "Rule of Three"

I get it…Sales is HARD…but understanding a customer's true challenges is pivotal to fostering fruitful relationships and closing deals. Amidst a myriad of concerns, it can be daunting for both the seller and the buyer to discern the most critical issues at hand.

One of my favorite CEO's was a former McKinsey consultant. He taught me the secret to using McKinsey's "Rule of Three" model to offer a structured approach to navigating the complexity of customer needs. This concept works equally well whether you are selling enterprise software or selling multi-million dollar jets to high-net-worth individuals.

"People buy things based on emotion and justify their purchase with evidence, data, and consensus." Paul Forte

McKinsey Made It Famous...Sales Makes it Sing!

The Rule of Three is a principle rooted in McKinsey's famous consulting methodology that extends beyond sales into executive communication. It advises presenting exactly three challenges when persuading senior buyers, as it grabs attention, forces choice, and provides the buyer structure and confidence that YOU will guide them to success in solving their business challenges.

Some Examples of the “Rule of Three”

·????? Stories: Three Little Pigs

·????? History: “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness”

·????? Physics: Newton’s Three Laws

·????? Slogans: Snap! Crackle! Pop!

But wait…I’m in Sales, not Consulting…

Oh, are you now?? The essence of the "Rule of Three" in Sales lies in helping the buyer focus on the top three business challenges they face. Customers/prospects can feel like they are drowning in an exhaustive list of pains, and top sellers should be experts at guiding them to identify and prioritize the most pressing issues for their business.

This not only streamlines the sales process but also demonstrates a deep understanding of the customer's core concerns/challenges that need to get solved.

Crucially, the "Rule of Three" doesn't end with mere identification. It advocates for continuous validation and refinement of these challenges throughout the sales journey.

By regularly checking in with the buyer and reassessing the relevance of the top three challenges, sellers ensure continuous alignment with ever-evolving priorities. Should a shift occur, sellers can seamlessly adapt by replacing one of the key challenges with a more pressing issue from the backup list.

Think of it like a game of "Go Fish"

This iterative process not only strengthens the seller-buyer relationship but also positions you as a trusted advisor and clearly sets you apart from the pack.

By guiding the customer's thought processes and demonstrating unwavering commitment to addressing their most crucial concerns, sellers elevate themselves from transactional partners to strategic allies.

These approaches emphasize active listening, problem-solving, and collaboration, fostering deeper engagement and trust with prospects and customers.

Want your prospect to see you as sharper than your competitors??

Try This Easy Process:

1.???? ?After your careful and thorough initial discovery, make a list of the Top 10 business challenges you heard from the buyer (s). Get as many as the buying committee will offer up. Remember the phrase "is there anything else?" Ask it again!

2.???? Ask the buyer to stack rank the “Top 3” issues/concerns from the list.

3.???? In EVERY presentation, demo, meeting, or proposal, ALWAYS start by reconfirming that this list of three is STILL the most important and compelling list. ?

4.???? If the prospect wavers or isn’t resolved about the current list, pull up the alternate list of things…and ask the buyer to pick which item they would like to swap out from the alternate list…or even swap in something new to the alternate list.

5.???? Reconfirm, challenge, swap, reconfirm, and continue to guide the buyer, demonstrating with your solution as the right answer, toward a clear understanding of how you will solve for their “Top 3” issues.

"We must guide the buyer to buy...not simply allow them to acquire. Left to their own devices, they generally don't...or won't on your timeline." Roderick Jefferson

Take Back some level of Control!

Mastering the "Rule of Three" empowers Sales professionals to cut through the noise, prioritize effectively, and forge meaningful connections with prospects and customers. ?It might seem tedious…but using this model to narrow the aperture of challenges can actually accelerate your deal cycles!

"Sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes you have to go slow to go fast". Alex Shootman

Sounds simple…but what do you want to bet your competitors are just pushing products and their own agendas…and NOT approaching their deal cycles this way??

Lean into it...give it a try. You'll be glad you did!

Good Luck and Good Selling

W. Scott McNabb