Underneath Complex Sales Are Simple Rules

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Underneath Complex Sales Are Simple Rules

Sometimes, in complex B2B sales , low activity and slow pipelines are blamed on the idea that the sales process is “complex .” I’ve always been interested in this excuse because it’s never rung true for me.

Although the details of what’s happening “on the other side of the fence” will vary, the underlying principles of how people make major purchases don’t change.

When you understand the timeless principles, you can drive the sales process effectively in any environment, including complex sales.

Complex System Are Built On Simple Rules

Systems thinking is an approach to problem-solving that moves past linear thinking and looks for systemic, holistic solutions to complex problems. According to researchers at Cabrera Research Lab, one of the most basic principles of systems thinking is that under every complex system are simple rules:

“Many people hold the false assumption that underneath complex things are complicated explanations. The mental model they need is that underneath complex things are simple rules.”

One example they use is the common sight of a large flock of birds flying “in formation,” as shown in this video:

Watching a flock of birds move as if they are one large organism, it’s easy to think that there must be some very complicated leadership and organizational principles guiding their flight. But in fact, as the video explains, the rules are very simple:

1. Stay together
2. Don’t run into each other
3. Avoid predators

Out of these very simple principles arises very complicated-looking behavior. Systems thinking posits that this is true for all complex systems. It further claims that if you can understand the simple rules that drive the system, you can identify the levers you can pull to effect change.

Complexity Isn’t Complicated in Sales Either

I’ve said it before: Complex doesn’t mean complicated . Too often, salespeople think that because the sale is complex, they can’t possibly understand what’s happening “across the fence” inside the target organization, and therefore there is nothing for them to do but wait. But the truth is that no matter how complicated it looks on the surface, there are still simple rules (levers) that drive the sale, and you will win more when you pull those levers. Here are a few of the rules:

1. Stakeholders are part of a system (or several) that might need to change, and systems strive to retain their equilibrium.
2. Every stakeholder has their own motives, emotions, and relationship to a potential change, and some stakeholders have more influence over decisions than others.
3. The decision will be made when the ease and benefits of the change outweigh the difficulty and risk of it.

When you understand these simple rules, you can begin to understand what is necessary in order to move the company to make the decision (hopefully involving a purchase from you.) Rule #1 tells us that we must understand their system(s) and how our suggested solution might affect them. Rule #2 tells us that we need to know who the stakeholders in their system(s) are, what motivates them (emotionally, as well as rationally), and who has the most influence on the system(s) and focus on those stakeholders without ignoring the others. Rule #3 tells us that we must make the decision and purchase as easy and beneficial as we can by understanding their perspective of the change and risks.

Underneath complex things are simple rules.

From these rules, it’s possible to build a sales process that addresses each need. It’s also easy to see that a salesperson using these rules to move a sale will not be lying around waiting. For instance, the process of fulfilling Rule #1 and #2 means the salesperson must work hard, ask a lot of questions, and engage with value to identify the system(s) and the relevant stakeholders. The same is true for Rule #3. And Rule #4. And Rule #5.

In other words, even though a salesperson in complex sales might make fewer transactions than a salesperson in a transactional environment, they should most likely still be making just as many activities, just with more stakeholders and for other purposes. Once we understand the principles underlying the complex sale, then we can begin to understand what calls they should be making, when, and to whom, and what kind of questions they should be asking.

When You Get It Right, It Looks Like Magic (But Isn’t)

The sight of a flock of birds or a school of fish can be absolutely mesmerizing. You watch starlings rise off a field of grain and move through the air like liquid, and you think: How is this possible? How does it work? It feels like magic.

A great salesperson can look the same. You think, how did they pull that off? With all those people involved, and all the competition, and all the coordination to make the decision… they must have a magic touch. But systems thinking shows us that it’s not magic at all. It’s simply understanding the basic principles and then building and executing a sales strategy that checks all the boxes and creates the movement toward the change they want to see. (That said, even if the rules are simple, you still need the skills...)

Do you know the simple rules that underlie purchasing decisions for your customers? How are you using them to drive more effective sales?

This article was first published on the Membrain blog here .