Jan 25th, 2016 - Category: Strategy
It is easy for engineers to fall into the trap of binary thinking since many technical decisions are black and white. However, in the bigger world outside of spec sheets and cost/performance calculations, shades of grey dominate. Good technical salespeople constantly grapple with questions like should the customer be told the “truth” about a marginal product at the risk of losing a sale? Should management be alerted to a potential quota miss ahead of time and how soon? Should a promising product feature that is technically complete be delayed to the next release to compel users to upgrade? These are just a few examples of questions that fall into that grey area of “maybe.” These questions come up so often that some ancient belief systems have stories to illustrate the detachment crucial to making the right decision when faced with uncertainty. Here’s one story from the Taoist tradition:
One day, the horse of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years ran away. When his neighbors heard the news, they visited and sympathetically said “Such bad luck.”
“Maybe,” the old farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. It would be hard for him to harvest his crops without his son’s help.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
At first glance, this story sounds like the farmer is avoiding the questions. If a salesperson used the same technique with a customer, he wouldn’t last five minutes in a sales call. However, approaching a problem with detachment is one way to initiate a discussion based on exploration instead of jumping to preconceived notions. One of the hallmarks of great salespeople is the ability to determine if a customer’s problem fits the solution as quickly as possible.
For larger strategic decisions, an example might be helpful. Sonos is an example of a company that puts this technique into practice with excellent results. Why? I have an original ZonePlayer based system that’s over 7 years old and it still works. It’s probably the oldest technology in our house and I’ve never had to replace a single unit due to obsolescence. Now they have added Apple Music and it runs on the same hardware. When we moved to a larger house, we just added additional players that all worked seamlessly with the “old” system. For a fascinating glimpse into the culture of Sonos that results in products like these, “What Sonos is working on” is a fast, interesting read.
Is Sonos losing money by not getting users to upgrade their hardware? Not in my case. If I had had to replace the old players, I might have opted for a Bluetooth system for a fraction of the price. Instead of focusing on what they might lose, Sonos focuses on providing additional features so customers feel safe adding new products. TruePlay, PLAY:5, and the PLAYBAR are expensive, but I know if I decide to buy one, it will be a great long term investment in a first class product.
So when that next agonizing decision comes, take a step back from the heat of an instant reaction with a thoughtful “maybe.” Maybe is an opportunity to discuss with an open mind. This can lead to creative solutions to problems that seem impossible.