Mastering the Complex Sale - Jeff Thull

If you don't know how to define your sales strategies, you have difficulty marketing your products and recruiting customers, this summary of the book "Mastering the Complex Sale", by author Jeff Thull, was made for you.

It offers the right and smart methods to dominate the business world, in addition to clarifying the marketing secrets that will make you escape once and for all from conventional selling.

Ready for this journey? So continue reading this PocketBook and make your business grow profitably and predictably!

About the book "Mastering the Complex Sale"

The book "Mastering the Complex Sale" by Jeff Thul, teaches how to develop complicated and high-risk sales strategies.

This book is distributed by Wiley editor and has 271 pages divided into three parts and nine chapters.

About the author Jeff Thull

Jeff Thull is President and CEO of Prime Resource Group, and he has designed and implemented professional transformation and development programs for companies such as Shell, Siemens, Microsoft, and Schneider Electric, as well as many fast-track and start-up companies.

In addition, Thull has a history of over 2, 500 lectures and seminars, and he is the author of several bestsellers.

To whom is this book indicated?

"Mastering the Complex Sale" is indicated for all people who work in sales and want to expand their skills, or for those who would like to work with sales.

Main ideas of the book "Mastering the Complex Sale"

• Selling is more challenging in this era of complexity;
• Selling means managing decisions, changes, expectations, and relationships;
• Do not focus on transactions - focus on relationships;
• Selling with a system - organized steps;
• Make the ideal consumer profile and combine real consumers with the profile;
• Asking questions is more powerful than telling stories;
• Put yourself in the consumer's shoes - would you do what you're proposing?;
• Sales systems derive the best from a selling personality;
• Analyze and measure performance;
• Learn from your mistakes and be flexible when circumstances change.

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Overview: The character of a complex sale

The complex sale can be conceptualized as a system of stages. Its final process is not just based on closing the deal, but, above all, on adapting to what the customer really needs.

If we are going to make a comparative agenda between conventional and complex sales, we can understand that the first only present the product or service, aiming only at the objectivity of the sale. In other words, the bond with the customer is not a priority.

The book "Mastering the Complex Sale" sends a message to salespeople, leaders, and people who work with marketing in general: those who adapt to the complex sales model will be ahead of the competition.

According to author Jeff Thull, in this sales model, the salesperson seeks a relationship of trust with the customer. Their actions lead directly to the diagnosis and resolution of the problems in question.

The complex salesperson needs to go beyond decision management, expectations, and communications. All of this, in fact, works as by-products or strategies for an assisted and conscious sale.

What this type of salesperson really needs to have is the control of a well-planned sales process. Planning is essential to capture the best strategies, great opportunities and the best cost-benefit ratio.

In addition, the time for a sale that is considered complex cannot be predetermined and may last for days, months, and even years.

Overview: Barriers to a complex sale

When the customer does not see the differences between products in a market, this becomes a problem for the success of your product. Author Jeff Thull introduces this small problem to explain the concept of commoditization.

Such a phenomenon generates demotivation and a devaluation of your product/service from customers. Why does it happen?

One explanation is due to pressure on sellers and the market. As he is unable to identify a better qualification, the client places everything presented to him on the same scale. This forces the price to decrease and, consequently, the competition.

Another reason for simplifying complex transactions is emotional reasons. The book "Mastering the Complex Sale" makes it clear that this can occur when the customer denies his presence and tries to slow down the complex sale process.

This may be due to fear, or because you do not want to show that you did not understand the difficulty or the seriousness of the problem. This fear comes not only from a lack of understanding but also from the fear of losing control of the transaction.

The desire of customers can be understood with the urge to create links with fewer suppliers. This can lead to a longer time for consensus and the completion of the complex sale.

There is also the fact that salespeople have had difficulty seeing customer impasses. Or the solutions found are quite complex, even for an experienced and sensitive salesperson.

Thus, Jeff Thull concludes that the complexity of the environment is directly proportional to the complexity of the problem.

Being a salesman is challenging. It demands, in addition to understanding itself, to understand the customer. For this, the author reveals skills that you must develop to be a successful salesperson.

Overview: The secret to a successful sales program

To understand the complex sales method, it is necessary to be aware of three fundamental concepts, which we will talk about next:

1. Discipline

As explained by author Jeff Thull in his book "Mastering the Complex Sale", first of all, a salesperson needs to educate his mind. In addition, you must understand that, just as with a simple sale, the customer can magically change his decision.

The customer may even be ecstatic in the sales process. But, at the exact moment of closing a deal, he can see that the action is not promising, hence there are serious risks of withdrawal. And you must prepare for those moments.

The salesperson must also conquer a business mind, seeking not only the sale but actually understanding the customer's business. Understand that today's customer wants suppliers to play a more active role in their organizations. Think about it!

2. Skills

They represent the fundamental characteristics of any profession. It is through them that the seller will use the appropriate tools aiming at the particularity of each client.

The author Jeff Thull presents in his book "Mastering the Complex Sale" 3 fundamental tactics for a successful sale:

1. Choose the right people in the sales process;
2. Ask the correct questions to diagnose the problem in question; and
3. Establish the appropriate sequence to resolve the predetermined dilemma.

3. System

According to the work "Mastering the Complex Sale", the system can be understood as the organizational form that leads to results in a faster way, with quality and efficiency.

The system is based on the business development diagnosis, called the Primer Process or main process. This diagnosis is an effective tool that helps to identify customers, in addition to profitability for the business.

The Primer Process is separated in some phases, which we will talk about in the next overviews.

Overview: Discover

Author Jeff Thull explains that the first phase is known as the discovery phase. It is there that customers who have the biggest problems and are most open to solving them are found.

Here, then, is the need to personalize engagement strategies. This is because customers need to be treated in a unique, special way. You must draw a critical analysis of the customer's profile to apply the ideal approach.

Concomitantly, you need to clearly know the importance of self-knowledge. Before understanding or starting the search for the ideal customer, it is necessary to understand yourself and the market in which you are inserted.

After that, create a personal business development plan. This plan must be linked to the corporate strategy.

Overview: Diagnose

The second step explained in the book, "Mastering the Complex Sale", is to learn to diagnose the causes of the problem. Diagnosis establishes credibility in the eyes of customers and can put you ahead of the competition.

It is also important to understand that there is no point in making a diagnosis of the problem. On the contrary, take the customer to the understanding in its entirety, so that he feels motivated to purchase the service/product being offered.

It deceives anyone who thinks that the gathering of information for a perfect diagnosis comes from the seller. According to the author Jeff Thull, it is the customer who raises the questions and doubts, and the seller, in turn, outlines strategies to clear up doubts and map the information collection process.

Overview: Prepare and design

The conventional seller walks around his product. The complex is focused on the customer. He seeks the best answer to the problem, even if that answer comes from the competitor.

For the author Jeff Thull, this is where the secret is, as the seller moves from a marketing relationship to a true customer partner. Adding value to who you are selling, considerably increases the chances of selling your product.

The design stage has the main function of minimizing possible customer changes. This phase then acts in partnership with the diagnosis phase. It is important to be aware of the reliability that the customer places on the services so that there is no avoidable frustration.

An important difference between conventional and complex sales is the idea of financing.

The book "Mastering the Complex Sale" explains that in complex sales, the seller needs to make the customer aware of the investment and return.

The Primer Process supports the seller so that he does not need to use any type of skill as in conventional sales. In addition, it greatly increases the chances of selling.

At the end of this stage, the customer has already identified the problem, found the solutions, they have a relationship of trust and partnership with the seller. Now, the negotiation goes up to the level of delivery.

Overview: Deliver the ideal solution

This phase focuses on two objectives:

1. Successfully complete sales;
2. Build an after-sales relationship between the seller, the organization, and the customer.

In the process of formalizing the sale, the proposal is the first thing to be delivered. This can be explained as if it were the final step, the result of all the discussions made, and all the arguments constructed in the customer-seller relationship.

At this point, it is important for the seller to understand that creating new arguments and information is not advised. This is the closing phase of the agreement.

After the agreement, it is extremely important that you bond with the customer. Author Jeff Thull explains in his book "Mastering the Complex Sale" that a sale does not create a relationship on its own.

Therefore, there is a need to know the customer's profile and needs, in order to nurture the relationship properly. That way, you can add loyal customers to you.

What do other authors say about it?

In "Spin Selling", author Neil Rackham points out that the quality of the questions asked is crucial to the success of the negotiation.

Jeffrey Gitomer in "The Sales Bible" leaves his message: be honest with customers. If you want to help them, the feeling will be reciprocal, as this helps the process of creating trust and even fidelity to their service.

In the book "The 25 Sales Habits of the Most Successful Sellers", Stephan Schiffman points out that one should not use tricks such as stating that the person has just won a lottery. Successful salespeople inspire confidence, the brand of a good leader has vision, deserves respect, is responsible, has a clear sense of direction and confidence.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

• Know your client's profile and never treat him in a generic way, if you don't want problems for your business;
• Selling is important, but managing your activities is essential. Be organized;
• Let your customer participate in diagnosing the problem. Thinking about the best solution is thinking about customer value;
• Assist the customer in their expectations by providing real solutions;
• Evaluate the proposal before delivering it to the customer.

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