What is Sense Making in Sales?

In Solution Selling, when the customer has a problem, they would allow a supplier understand the situation and then prepare a “solution”.

Solution Selling was useful for the seller when they had greater insights than the buyer. It usually placed them with a strong position of power influence. We call this Information Asymmetry.

But thanks to the Internet, this has now changed. Buyers can solve their own problem through research. By the time they meet with a seller, their perspective has been quite fixed. According to Gartner’s 2017 Digital B2B Study, the buyer will complete 62% of their time learning and researching in comparison to the time they spend with the supplier.

It becomes very challenging to then come up with a way that effectively helps to influence the sale.

Enter Sense Making Sales by Gartner.

Sense Making “is the process of creating meaning from information, events, and experiences. It involves identifying patterns, interpreting data, and understanding the implications of various pieces of information. Gartner's sense-making framework helps organizations make better decisions, understand trends, and develop strategies based on a deeper understanding of the information at hand”.

“Key aspects of Gartner's sense-making framework include:

• Data Collection: Gathering relevant data and information from various sources.

• Data Analysis: Identifying patterns, trends, and relationships within the collected data.

• Contextualization: Understanding the broader context in which the data exists.

• Interpretation: Drawing insights and conclusions from the analyzed data.

• Implications: Determining the potential consequences and future impact of the insights gained.

• Actionable Insights: Using the insights to inform decision-making and strategy”.

The bottom line is that buyers are confused with all the “good information” provided by suppliers.

The more they research, the more they get confused.

Sense Making helps the buyer make sense of all the information and builds the confidence to make the right decision.

The longer I stay in a sales role, the easier it is to naturally become a Sense Maker in sales. You have a strong understanding of their challenges and can give them insights that really helps. Done in the right way it can be very effective.

Maximising our most precious resource

Early in my career I worked hard. Phone calls were made, emails sent and meetings conducted. But all the while, I was being ineffective with my time.

I work less intensely now, but I am more effective in what I do because I priorities my most important activities first.

Every day I write down a list of priorities . As I complete those tasks I get a highlighter and mark them completed. It is satisfying at the end of the day to have almost all my all activities marked up.

It is wonderful to be in sales and to have so much control over my time.

Many people are aware of the Franklin Covey Time Management Matrix. We can use it to maximise our most precious resource.

Writing one crappy little article per day…

In the movie, The Dark Knight Rises Bane says to his captors: : “It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan“.

My 20 years in enterprise sales have yielded both ups and downs. Some roles have been average, some bad and others I’ve done well in. This past year I have sold over $20M in direct sales. So far my best year yet.

I’ve had time selling professional services. It becomes a problem when you run out of professionals’ time to sell. I am now selling a combination of hardware, software and professional services with fewer supply problems.

What do I love about my job? The ability to have control over my time and how I go about getting my targets. It sucks when you are behind targets. But you feel awesome when you achieve success for your customers and your employer.

A lot of sales people yearn for sales management. Its easier than selling. I’ve spent time mentoring and coaching others but have not yet found the right opportunity. When you are hitting your targets, your sales commissions are a great alternative to the prestige and ease of a sales manager title.

I’m serious about starting my side business.

I will start with executive coaching/training and then sell my own digital courses.

Helping others to unlock the mysteries of sales success is very satisfying.

So here I am.

With four kids and a job to hold down there is not a lot of spare time. I have dedicating one hour per day on my craft.

It has begun by writing open crappy little article per day. It’s been almost two weeks and I feel good about that. I will reach 100 articles soon and expect it will place me in a better headspace to design my courses.

Unlocking the art of persuasive sales presentations and micro-content is my passion. This is where I will be doubling down to produce content this year.

Here we go!

Between Living and Death

Today I received from said news about someone that I know and greatly respect has a terminal diagnosis.

In my personal life I have a faith in Jesus Christ and in His plan for me and all of God’s children. When a death happens with my fiends and family, I am more equipped to draw comfort in others.

But at work, we all come together from many different belief systems. I don’t want to intrude on another’s privacy. But we are all human and should find ways to express our appreciation for their example.

Life can pass you by quickly. I spoke to a colleague and the next Saturday night he died suddenly. Another died from COVID just after having a baby. Customers have shared with me news about serious illness before taking leave and then passing away.

This week I will share with this person how I appreciate their example and courage.

Circle of Influence vs Circle of Concern

Have you ever heard, “If engineering just fixed these bugs, we would so much more”

Unfortunately life is not perfect. You will always face a problem with your product that impacts sales.

However worrying about them will hold back your sales and cause you to over stress.

You just need to focus on the things that you can control.

When you lose a deal about something beyond your control, move on quickly to the next sale.

The more you focus on what is inside your control, the more effective you become.

Keep reminding yourself this.

Being a Sales Professional

If you work in sales, you need to be passionate about what you do.

The best sales people are hidden, because they do not appear to be “selling”.

A sales professional has the following qualities:

• A belief that you are making a positive difference.

• You like your customers.

• Can explain to customers where the value is.

• They are highly competitive and goals driven.

Professionals care about the things that others cannot see. They are working back late in the office to ensure a presentation or proposal is perfect.

Professionals are lone wolves. They are focussed on achieving success.

They think deeply about customer interactions, and to understand their perspective. At times it appears they can accurately interpret their thinking more quickly than others.

Another way of explaining how a professional is different is from my favourite movie, “The Fifth Element”, Zorg (Gary Oldman), explained what it meant to be a professional (killer): I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF-1, would've immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun.

If you are in sales. Be focussed. Be Professional.

The 80-20 Rule in Sales

If you don’t know, the Pareto Principle is that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the causes.

It occurred to me, while watching the original Aladdin cartoon movie (1992) that Robin Williams was the standout supporting character. He carried the entire movie.

His impact inspires new generations of followers each time its played.

Aladdin and Princess Jasmin are very wooden. The antagonise, Jafar is good. But the genie brings everyone to life.

Williams was only paid $75,000 for his work. Vastly underrepresented in the impact that he made on the film.

Aladdin went on to earn over $500M at the box office and to become one of Disney’s greatest animations.

Similarly in sales, there are some who have a disproportionate effect. They sell $20M in a year, when the average is $4M. Another example of the Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule.

High performing sales people are usually contrarian. They are disinterested in most things except closing deals. And when they are focussed on their job it is something to behold.

If Williams’ agent was one of these sales people, then maybe he would have gotten more?

Managing customers relationships - AT SCALE

In my current sales role, I have about 60 customers and 200 individuals that I need to maintain a relationship with. There is no effective way to have a 1:1 relationship with them all in the traditional sense. So what I will be doing is emailing them one a month with a 10 min video to share with them the latest trends and updates. The following article by Wistia is great on how to write great customer scripts for videos.

https://wistia.com/learn/production/wistias-scripting-tips

The Failure that set me up for Success

I had butterflies in the stomach as I waited in the boardroom to meet with with my boss and the HR manager.  The boardroom was impressively modern, very high up, overlooking the Brisbane river and Storey Bridge. 

I was three months into a new role as Business Development Manager at at a top tier city law firm.

The previous month they had given me “feedback” to adjust my approach in the role.

My hiring was an “experiment” as they traditionally hired BD staff with law firm and/or tender writing experience. It was believed exposing the partners and senior associates to an experienced B2B sales person might assist to grow their practice groups.

When asked to give an account of my recent work, I proudly shared 10 measurable improvements that had been achieved in the past month. I felt confident as there was positive feedback given to me from a wide range of areas of the firm. Things were about to turn around!

At the end of my update, there was an awkward five second pause. 

The HR manager opened with, “Paul I’m going to have to get straight to the point. The partners don’t feel that you are adding enough value and we are going to have to give you a formal warning”. 

WHAT? 

I was in complete shock. I was not in a review meeting. They were actively managing me out of the firm. They explained how once the partners formed an opinion of you, it was very difficult to change perceptions. “Off the record Paul, I think you would be far happier working in a different role”.

It was a gut punch. Stress. Mental panic. Rejection. The feeling of betrayal that my efforts had gone unrecognised. I was no longer on their team. 

Fortunately this story has a happier ending. I reached out to recruiters and within a few weeks had two job offers. I took the one that would give me an amazing experience for almost five years selling enterprise software. 

Did they have to be so cutthroat with me? They could probably have been a little nicer to me! 

But in reflection, my failure was the best thing that could happen. It forced me to accept important lessons that have led to my current sales success of exceeding sales targets and selling $15M-$20M / year over the past two years. 

What did I learn? 

1. A strong sense of how professional services works. Top tier law firms know how to set a high standard for their customers. They were focused on “adding value” for their customers. Expanding on “adding value” has given me incredible success in selling professional services over the past nine years.  

2. Read the book. There is a book that I wish I had read before, “The First 90 Days” by Michael D. Watkins. It would have helped me learn from other people’s mistakes instead of my own!

3. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion. I regret being too deferential at the law firm and it cost me. It’s okay to have a different opinion to everyone else. If your points are valid, they will respect you more for bring diversity. 

4. Your job is to bring value to the organisation. Prioritise what is most important. I still do that. It is too convenient to get affected by other people’s agendas instead of your success. 

5. The biggest revenue earners have the most power. People respect rainmakers. The partnership model is different to the corporate structure. However the same principle holds true with both structures. 

In short:

• A career “failure” is not an exclamation mark (!)

• It is a comma (,)

• Use your experiences to improve and move forward.

How to identify the Economic Buyer Influence (EBI)

Earlier in my career, I came across Miller Heiman training that continues to help me today. It’s their approach to identifying all the buyer influences within a customer organisation.

In a company there are so many opinions about what to do. It is easy to get stuck with someone that you like, but is not going to get you the deal.

For me the EBI or Economic Buyer Influence is standout. Until you have identified who is the EBI at your customer organisation, you have no understanding of the situation or your ability to influence their decision making.

The EBI has the most influence over the company spend to purchase what you are selling.

Here is another chestnut. The EBI is not always the most senior person in the organisation. It might be the receptionist! It all depends on their level of influence over the company’s ability to spend money. So the EBI does not need to BE the boss, but has the ability to get the boss to empathise with their perspective and buyer preferences.

Until you know who the EBI is and her preferences and perspective, you have no idea. It is like hunting while blindfolded. It’s theoretically possible you will be success, but more luck than anything else.