The Complex Sale, Identified

Here's a sneak peek of a small excerpt from the book I'm writing. Designed to help businesses make informed decisions in their sales processes. Especially as they scale and grow.

I'm excited to share this early stage excerpt, as I think it solves a vital piece of the sales puzzle. Readers will feel more informed in what a sales processes is. They will also be armed with the vocabulary to discuss sales in a more in-depth way.

The Complex Sale

"Complex sales" typically refers to situations where the sales process involves multiple steps. This can include stakeholders, extended timelines, customised solutions, or high-value transactions. 

Books will often discuss tactical approaches to complex sales. There is rarely discussion of when a sale becomes complex. Nor is their mention of the sale being less than complex, other than simple. If you have read something on this, please get in touch.

There seemed to be a gap. There was something between a simple and complex sale.

Let's use an example of a web design agency. They currently sell hero image designs to clients (simple). After a while, they begin to offer full website redesigns (complex).

Their sales process has now changed. They have gone from something simple to something more complex. There are more stakeholders involved in the website design. More people may be involved in the decision-making process for the website. Labelling this sales process as complex would seem an overstatement. It's nothing like selling an enterprise resource planning system (complex).

To capture this middle ground, a new category called Advanced sales is introduced. Furthermore, some already “complex” sales processes stretch beyond ordinary complexity. This gives rise to a new category termed Highly Complex.

Here is my understanding of what makes a complex sale.

Defining Complex Sales Environments

Multiple Decision-Makers (buyer side)

It requires engagement with various stakeholders, each with unique priorities.

Extended Timelines 

Sales cycles spanning months or even years.

Customisation 

Tailored solutions based on the specific needs of the buyer.

High-Stakes Transactions

Significant financial investments or long-term commitments.

Risk of Inaction 

Often involves organisational change, making decision-making slower.

Collaborative (seller side)

Requires teamwork across departments (e.g., legal, finance, and IT).

Examples of Complex Sales:

1. Enterprise software or SaaS solutions.

2. Most B2B sales.

3. Consulting services or large-scale implementations.

4. Government contracts.

Contrasting with Simple Sales Processes

The other end of the spectrum is a simple sales process. Sales are more transactional and straightforward.

Single Decision-Maker (buyer side)

Often involves one buyer or point of contact.

Short Timelines

Quick sales cycles, sometimes completed within a single interaction.

Standardised Products 

Limited customisation; buyers choose from predefined options.

Low Risk 

Minimal financial or operational implications for the buyer.

Less Collaboration (seller side)

Typically handled by one salesperson or department.

Examples of Simple Sales:

1. Retail purchases.

2. E-commerce transactions.

3. Commodity sales (e.g., office supplies or raw materials).

Sales Complexity Assessment Tool

A tool to help bridge Simple to Complex sales. Designed to help businesses understand if they are in a complex sales environment or not. It’s a great tool if you are in a similar position to our web design agency example I mentioned earlier. Your decision on which concept to use in this book may be determined by your score. For example, you may see that you are in a "Simple" sales process. You decide to use BANT to help you find high-intent buyers quicker. Or perhaps you notice that you are actually in an "Advanced" sales process. You may wish to start using MEDDIC to qualify and better forecast deals.

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