In a doctor’s waiting room the other day I flicked through a pamphlet with tips to deal with ADHD children. Quite bizarrely I found most of them offered highly applicable tactics when faced with a difficult prospect - tricky in the sense of where you find attention often seems to wane whilst promoting your cause. Here’s a few extrapolated examples:

Get Attention. When they allow people to enter the room with something else, answer their mobile, or nip out to tend to something ‘urgent’, you’re in a bad space. So remove the chance of such disturbances happening.

Make Clear Rules. A sneaky one, but one that can really work if you set out the rules of engagement, so to speak, as early as possible. This will ensure you stay on your turf.

Set Up Routines. Another tidy tip. Ever instigated a weekly review of the campaign with a prospect or other such pattern?

Reward. Again, cheeky. Agreed upon rewards to deliver (typically but crucially not always the all-embracing ‘corporate entertainment’) when something has happened during the pitch process can be winners.

Can’t Or Won’t.  I do like this one. Understanding the real difference with these can be a clincher.

I’ve unhappily borne witness to bosses that are bullies. Pressure cooker sales environments can cause the unacceptable to appear mundane. Yet it needn’t become pervasive.

When I’ve seen sales management resort to bullying tactics it’s difficult to rein it in. Especially when the protagonist is answerable to no-one. Here’s why researchers believe bullying occurs in the workplace, as entertainingly reported by The Telegraph as the Basil Fawlty effect:

“Incompetence alone doesn’t lead to aggression. It’s the combination of having a high-power role and fearing that one is not up to the task that causes power holders to lash out. And our data suggest it’s ultimately about self-worth.”

Worryingly, the professor went on to say that,

‘the only way for a boss to permanently stop bullying was to either work hard enough to improve their competence or to resign’.

In terms of solutions, that could sound pretty bleak if you’re the victim, but at least one type of remedial action is absolutely not to be recommended, which I’ve also noted that people try to use. Do not placate the bully. As hard as it may be in the pursuit of self-preservation;

“excessive flattery — long the refuge of the frustrated subordinate — may not work in the long run because it might ultimately cause the boss “to lose touch with reality”

Over a round of toast laden with wonderful organic honey, my morning tea break led me to this delightfully paranoid article in the Times exposing 10 tips for spotting an unfaithful partner.

I instantly visualised the parallels between these relationship signals and Account Management disasters. For each one an interesting analytical door opens in the Farming world. For starters, here’s ideas from three initial eye-catchers:

Harmless Flirting - do you believe them when they say they’re ‘just keeping up-to-date’ on the competition and why would they need to?

Constantly Awol - why are they never around for you, nor returning your calls or forever late for your vital meetings?

They’re suddenly all over you - is the corporate equivalent of flowers and chocolates merely meant to soften the ultimate blow?

Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book has the deliciously sounding subtitle of The Impact Of The Highly Improbable.  For much of its first two-thirds, it fairly races along, making even the casual reader consider that they can indeed understand ‘philosophy’. You cannot fail but to be impressed by his constant insistence and reasoning that a financial crash was just around the corner, for instance.

The final third fails to ram home the promise.  I wanted to learn more around what I could do about (inevitable, unforeseeable) Black Swans, rather than detailed rebuttals of say, bell-curve theory.  And despite the author’s permission given to skip such sections, as the book wears on, the examples lack the earlier clarity and spark and seem more about settling academic fraternity scores.

Nevertheless, for solution selling salespeople, there are some ‘wow’ concepts that really make you think about how you can sell better.  Over the accumulated nine hours I invested in reading this book, I filled two sides of A4 (8½ by 11 for Americans) with notes to try and remind me later of such triggers.

The gist of the book is not to bother with prediction (or a forecast).  It is never accurate.  And some Black Swan always comes along to change the game.  These are rare and wild events, totally unexpected, that lie outside the bounds of the tunnel of possibilities and are ‘unknown unknowns’.

Here, often in the writer’s own awesome words, I restrict myself to twenty of the best sales take-aways:

1. the money’s in idea generation and organising your know-how into action
2. it remains the case that you know what is wrong with a lot more confidence than you know what is right
3. “retrospective plausibility causes a discounting of the rarity and conceivability of an event creating an illusion of understanding”, so avoid the “narrative fallacy” of weaving facts into a reality that could just as easily mean the opposite (”retrospective determinisms”)
4. add ’cause’ to a statement (”how likely is it that…”)
5. focus on process, not results
6. expose ’silent evidence’
7. it’s much easier to sell ‘look what I did for you’ rather than ‘look what I avoided for you’
8. more info never makes better decisions (”statistically sophisticated or complex methods do not necessarily provide more accurate forecasts than simpler ones”)
9. question error rates of supposed expert’s predictions
10. beware that people ‘herd’ in their predictions closer to each other, rather than what really ends up happening
11. plans fail because of tunnelling - the neglect of sources of uncertainty outside the plan itself
12. the unexpected nearly always pushes in a single direction; higher costs and longer to completion
13. true serendipity only happens when you are on some kind of Quest
14. acknowledge the law of iterated expectations - if you expect something then it’s probably already happened (& similarly, when you think of tomorrow do you merely project it as another yesterday?)
15. randomness is just unknowledge
16. drive a culture that encourages the process of failure rather one where failure is met with stigma and embarrassment
17. invest in preparedness, not prediction (Pasteur said “chance favours the prepared”)
18. make a decision focusing on the consequences (what you know) rather than the probability (which you never can)
19. understand ‘preferential attachment’ style epidemics (the big get bigger)
20. The 80/20 rule can also be expressed as 50/01

A crew of us were enjoying breakfast opposite the building site that feels worryingly incomplete at Cape Town’s world cup venue, as the 3½ yr-old among us happily turned our table into a race-track for his toy car.

When presented with menu options, the toddler seemed restless. Fortunately it transpired that a fellow diner, originally trained as a pre-primary teacher in her S African homeland, had a trick up her sleeve. She called it the Choice of Two.

When a youngster asks for something it can begin a trail that leads only to tears.  They may start off stating that they are hungry, and before you know it, only chocolate can end a tantrum.  Crucially, before you reach a request that they cannot have, you head-off trauma by jumping in with a pair of options. If you snooze and fall back on saying that their eventual ‘unreasonable’ request is unavailable, it is you that will suffer.

When they initially cite hunger, you then offer a choice of two items, both of which they can have. A classic example here would be to suggest either an apple or banana.  No mention of anything ‘unsavoury’.

And now I have witnessed this with my own eyes, I can safely report that not only does the kid take one of the choices, but they appear genuinely happy with the outcome.

I was quite impressed. Then it was revealed to me that this tactic works on adults too. Examples of a friend of mine’s wife successfully using this technique on him made me chuckle. But I immediately realised the solution selling potential.

There are times when we feel that a Buyer wants that which they cannot have (or we don’t think that they should). And perhaps here’s a way of re-framing such deals. Get your ‘choices of two’ in early and you can better shape the solution your way.

There’s an event on Thursday in Cape Town aimed at creating a community for wannabe tech start-ups, the name of which gives you the gist; Silicon Cape.

Explaining the concept to me, one of the attendees gave an interesting example of a previous attempt to provide hub-like support for such firms. Microsoft recently held a conference for around 50 local companies that developed on their platform.

Apparently the pick of the sessions was one where the presenter asked each firm to nip out and write down what made them distinctive in the marketplace.

When back in the main theatre, there was a quick-fire round-the-room for each group to give their top distinction.

It seemed that everyone cited something about their product.

The facilitator then posed the question, if everyone was heralding the same thing in the marketplace, then how could any of them truly be distinctive?

All agreed that they must go away and choose a real differentiator.

I wonder if we solution sellers were to ask our customers from where they thought our true distinction came, whether it would both tally with what we keep telling our prospects and also, crucially, be genuinely different from what our competition say?

I caught a chastening documentary on how the Allies managed to prolong the war in Europe and needlessly increase the pyre of bodies, due to internal strife, egos and mistakes of the commanders towards the end of 1944.

In a narrative where no leader escapes blame, here’s a quote from a letter sent by Northern front commander Montgomery to the movement’s co-ordinator 400 miles behind the action, Eisenhower.  There was evidently friction between the two men with Monty failing to accept the politics that effectively rendered him second-in command.  With three different fronts emerging, Monty wanted all resources diverted to his command to power through the Low Countries, Berlin-bound through the Ruhr.

“by pushing everywhere you fail to break through anywhere”

The ferocious battle at Arnhem over key Rhine crossing rights defeated his plans.  He would doubtless argue that despite being given 30,000 airborne troops, the lack of resources provided proved him right.  As ever with history, conflicting views also exist.

Yet the truth in his observation pervades.  One of my key mantras when talking to sales team leaders about knowledge management for instance, is that such initiatives traditionally fail because they are so desperate to capture anything, they try to capture everything.

When I discuss selling new products with the same audience, you often find that the array of initiatives that the individuals are charged with pursuing are bewildering.  This regularly starves the latest newly launched product of selling-focus oxygen.

So the key, clearly, is to reduce, rather than load up on, key sales initiatives to make the strategic ones truly count.

Or strictly speaking, ‘John Grisham’s The Rainmaker’. This gives it away a little, as this film looks at face value like it’s all about a newly-qualified, working-class-boy-making-good lawyer, who takes on the might of an unscrupulous insurance company, over wrongful claim denial for his first case.

Don’t believe the sleeve notes - it’s a sales masterclass.

I have to say, it’s a belter of a movie in its own right - David v Goliath, half courtroom-drama, heart-string tugs, wet-behind-ears mentoring by a street-wise hustler…

So, just to confirm, Matt Damon has to generate his own ‘fees’, can keep as ‘commission’ one-third of all said fees and receives a draw with the balance due by either side at the end of each month. Sound familiar?

The big deal being pursued is the Great Benefit insurance company paying out, but to pay the bills, smaller deals still need to be won.

Now convinced this is a movie about a sales guy, what little reminders can it give us?

Two major areas come across. The things you should do in front of people shine out at you, but first let’s look at the general process fundamentals:

• Think about intelligent prospecting. Danny DeVito pops along to hospitals to sign-up accident victims, from names ‘thoughtfully’ provided by his boss from police reports.  Granted, ambulance chasing may not be apt for us all, but can it fire off ideas?
• These ‘prospects’ come from a contact of the boss, and both appear to win from the sharing of info. Many sales writers preach the benefits of clubbing together with other salesreps, where you all sell to the same type of people, but not competing at all. Great idea to swap potential customer names and info in this way.
• In fact, DeVito is always on the prowl for prospects, even ’smokestacking’ a potential teenage claimant (”stick of gum, kid?”).
• Remember the buzz of the chase - “there’s nothing more thrilling than nailing an insurance company”. Landing that big fish is indeed awesome.
• Think of how to use every little piece of info, no matter how tiny or initially innocuous. Matt Damon makes notes too. And generally records everything.
• Don’t get hung up on the personal aspects of not winning the business. You do not necessarily have to fight the fear of losing your dignity and self-respect!
• Nerves are fine. The first time in the lion’s den of the courtroom was dodgy, but you overcome it.
• Don’t be afraid to set competitor traps. This doesn’t mean slagging them off, it means getting them led down the garden path. I love this kind of stuff and “Billy Porter” lights up a cracker here.

Then there are the tactical, one-on-one requirements:

• Trust is essential.
• Remember to speak to everyone that has an opinion. Giving a photo to the Dad was a great touch…
• Pause. Then Pause again. Then Pause some more. The added impact this adds to your vital points is stunning.
• Repetition is good.
• The star pair’s work ethic is great; Damon asleep at his desk in the early hours, DeVito being asked “don’t you ever sleep?”
• Isolate the key criteria on which the decision swings. (Bone marrow procedure legitimacy here)
• Outstanding Presentation Skills highlight and leave behind the killer error of the insurance company writing “You must be stupid, stupid, stupid.” (Better on widescreen). I always like to scribble all over flip-chart pads and leave a ‘message’ behind when I’ve left.
• Matt Damon never interrupts someone in his sale.
• Wonderful closing technique when the prospect complains about the 2 pages of terms and conditions to say what it is apparently just 2 sentences. Note that Trust got him through.
• The best ‘impact points’ in your case are when they are stated by other people on your behalf.
• A barrage of questions constantly come from Matt Damon’s mouth.
• Don’t give up at the first sign of trouble, and don’t be afraid to stand your ground.
• Matt Damon genuinely cares about the people he is dealing with, and when it shows, he gets results.
• Don’t try and shoot all your bullets. In the courtroom, the Killer Evidence is left until the very end. I know a handful of firms that only reveal their most gilt-edged when the Chief Exec’s pen is hovering over the order form.

So according to a Welsh psychologist, 19 June was the one day of the year when we should have all been at our happiest.  Did you feel the vibe?  I asked my chief developer in Cape Town this very question on the day itself and he wondered whether in fact it was destined to be his unhappiest day of the year - his worry was that being in the Southern Hemisphere could mean the opposite!

Anyhow, the aforementioned doctor’s less remarkable conclusions were that you get miserable millionaires because they have no friends, and paupers can inhabit boundless joy on account of their amazing friendships.

Delving into ‘happiness’ I surfed across a fascinating BBC microsite that led me to a Dr Seligman, who proposes that happiness relies on 24 factors.

Wouldn’t be interesting to see if encouraging your prospects to associate these with you during their buying cycle creates more success?

These two-dozen “signature strengths” can apparently be categorised five ways:

1. Wisdom
2. Courage
3. Humanity/Love
4. Temperance
5. Transcendence

How these align to a buying process is an entertaining quiz.

Wisdom can involve satisfying their inner drive for curiosity, improving their intelligence, being seen as open-minded and feeling ingenious.

Courage amounts to valour of course, and how often is bravery really needed by buyers to affect change?  Persistence is part of this.

The next pair may be trickier to assign, but leadership counts under Humanity and modesty under Temperance.

Then finally, under Transcendence are a raft of qualities that buyers benefit from feeling; hope, optimism, future-mindedness, zest, passion and enthusiasm.

For a couple of hours the other day I learned about agri-business planning. The first time I touched this industry was during a couple of years in the early 90s, with exposure to the logistics and sales operations of various meat and dairy producers. The next was to be on a project I completed this year, should you also consider Scottish distilleries to be of that ilk.

On this particular day, the issue concerned how to further take up of expansion business plans seeking outside funds.

During the discussion on barriers, incorporating the things that spring up to cause delay, one comment confirmed existence of a classic solution sale constraint;

“everyone has their own colour shades on”

Whilst info flies back and forth several times during the plan’s creation, the team I talked with concluded that chances of success are immeasurably improved when you truly know what the money men want.

Acknowledgment of this isn’t news I’m sure to most solution sellers. Yet not resting until you are beyond doubt that you know each buyer’s personal colour of sunnies is perhaps something that can on occasion slip.