“It depends” is a very common and often correct answer to most business questions. The outcome of a complex situation really does “depend” on a large number of uncontrollable and unknown variables. Sales professionals try to reduce these unknowns as best they can by doing research and asking questions. They strive to understand the competitive and political landscapes as well as train on the features and functions of the solution. Sales professionals strive to analyze the decisions makers and to ensure the value proposition meets the client’s requirements. Other variables, such as the emotional states of those decision makers, can greatly affect the outcome of the sales process.
It really does depend.
It is the job as sales professionals, managers, and coaches to have a strategy in order to manage these unforeseen and uncontrollable variables and increase the likelihood of success. Business Improvisation is a strategy to deal with the unknown in a sales cycle.
Sound sales process education is a given for a successful sales team. The ability to be creative under pressure and improvise is both a critical skill and a strategy to obtain a great level of success. Those who master Business Improvisation as a comprehensive skill can overcome obstacles and still reach their objective. Those who do not master the ability to be flexible face being let down and are rarely successful in larger more complex sales situations.
Sales Improvisation in Action:
A proposal has been prepared for a client and there is a meeting today to review the solution and costs with the executive team. The content of the proposal is clear and the features and functions are supported by research. Experience tells us that no matter how hard we try to control the situation something unexpected will happen. It could be something small; spilled coffee on your shirt or a burnt bulb on the projector. Any small issue can quickly become a big issue if it is allowed to blur the focus. A large unexpected event could be problematic as well; the decision maker not showing or the opening statement from the client that they’ve decided to go with an unknown competitor. Not only are there new obstacles to overcome, fear and biological stress, such as fight or flight, influence reactions. The objective remains the same but the plan is no longer viable, it is time to improvise.
Improvisation is the process of accessing and applying creativity to a situation in real time. It is the ability to converge composition, creativity and execution to achieve success. Creativity can be defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, and relationships. In doing so, creativity brings forth original methods and interpretations. Improvisation is not ‘winging it”, in fact in order to access creativity it is important not to be distracted by the content. If you are busy remembering features and functions or obsessed about some other event your mind is not free to access creativity and improvise. Preparation is key factor for successful Business Improvisation.
Recent research conducted by Keith Hmieleski and Andrew Corbett reveals that entrepreneurs use improvisation as a process when resources, like time, are limited and challenges are high. Their research showed that improvisation, in the right situations, is a highly successful strategy. Frank Ruffs’ research on organizational improvisation, published in Future magazine in 2004, states that improvisation is an important strategy for corporations to deal with “wild card” or unforeseen crises and unpredicted change. Improvisation, as a strategy for dealing with the unknown, is also utilized by EMS workers, military personnel and firefighters. We also witness the art of improvisation in theatre and music, particularly jazz.
In sales terms, think of improvisation as being intentionally flexible on how to reach a goal. Knowing what your current state is and where you want to be is important, but which path you take will depend on the circumstances of the moment. This is much harder than it sounds because it relies on giving up the attempt to control.
Control and Awareness
When unanticipated events occur it is common to react by trying to control the future. The more control is sought after the harder it is to achieve. In fact research shows that ‘trying harder’ usually creates negative results. The increased pressure evokes fear and distraction thus focus is lost. Sales training programs often impart messages like “control the customer” or “control the conversation”. The control strategy simply does not work; people do not react well to being controlled and it has already established that the sales cycle is full of uncontrollable events. Accepting that you cannot control everything is not only liberating but it also gives you access to increased awareness and creativity.
Awareness is the combination of listening and observing and is an important step in the process of improvisation. It can be expressed in a 2X2 matrix from broad to narrow and internal to external. Awareness provides all the raw material to work with. It can give clues to behaviour and style that help shape our creative output. Generally, we comprehend at a rate of 350 to 500 words per minute during a conversation; but we speak at 150 to 200 words per minute. The 50% time differential is typically used to pass judgment and anticipate a response. The more affectively we can use that time increases our awareness and can help formulate more creative possibilities.
Learned or Innate?
Improvisation is a skill that is taught to actors and musicians. That learning process can be translated so that salespeople can add improvisation to their cache of tools. Conventional business traditions afford little tolerance for failure or even practice. Although any successful leader will relay platitudes that learning comes from failure. Business Improvisation training affords the circumstances to practice and fail in a safe environment. Recent research conducted by Randy Sabourin and Dr Robin Pratt, entitled Attentional and Interpersonal Characteristics of Improvisation Professionals vs. Business Executives, measured the differences between successful sales executives and professional improvisers. The measurements focused on attention and distraction preferences, styles, and interpersonal communication skills. It allows individuals to compare their styles and behavioural attributes to improvisers. That personal information combined with the proven techniques for teaching improvisation gathered from theatre and jazz traditions can help individuals become fluent in the ways of Business Improvisation.
Conclusion:
Success in business often comes down to solving problems without the benefit of time, resources or all the information. Business Improvisation is a skill that can be learned and a strategy for sales professionals and executive teams to implement. This preparation can ensure a competitive advantage when performance under pressure is a critical factor for success.
References:
Attentional and Interpersonal Characteristics of Improvisation Professionals vs. Business Executives [What Executives can learn from Improvisation Professionals], Randy Sabourin, with Robin W. Pratt, Ph.D
Wild Cards, Weak Signals and Organizational Improvisation by Franks Ruff
Proclivity for Improvisation as a Predictor of Entrepreneurial Intentions by Keith Hmieleski and Andrew Corbett
