Complex Sales

What are Complex Sales?

The complexity comes down to three key areas:

1. The product:
   • It's technically or intellectually complex.
   • It requires a certain level of knowledge from buyers to understand it.
   • The customer takes on some risk by adopting it.
   • Examples: Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), low-code platforms, advanced manufacturing technologies, corporate insurance systems, intellectual property law, and high-level consulting services.
2. The customer:
   • They are typically large or medium-sized companies.
   • Many different stakeholders are involved, and their connections aren't always clear.
   • The way they make decisions is often complicated and not very transparent.
   • The people involved may have conflicting interests.
3. The interaction:
   • The sales cycle is long (from six months to several years).
   • The deal value is high (often in the hundred thousands).
   • It requires thorough and sustained work with the client.
   • Every client is highly valuable because there's a limited number of potential customers.
   • Many people from both the seller's and the buyer's side are involved in negotiations.

You can use the following test to see if your sales are complex. If most of these points sound familiar, your sales likely fall into this category:

• You sell a complex product.
• Your sales cycle is long (six months or more).
• Many people from both sides are involved in the process.
• The deal value is high.
• Each client is extremely valuable because your potential customer base is small.

In these types of sales, salespeople need special skills and knowledge to explain the intricate technical details of their products and to guide buyers through a complicated decision-making process.

How Do Complex Sales Differ from Simple Sales?

The main difference between simple (or transactional) sales and complex sales is how you work with clients and how your business processes are organized.

Based on the experience of leading companies, trying to mix simple and complex sales within the same business is usually a bad idea. Large companies often separate these, for example:

• Tool manufacturers create separate product lines for everyday consumers (simple sales) and for professional use (complex sales).
• Car companies have different brands for the mass market and the premium segment.
• In IT, cloud providers might create separate brands specifically for simple, transactional sales.

Attempting to combine these approaches often leads to lower efficiency. Complex sales can get dragged down into a transactional model, which hurts the business's margins and profitability.

In Which Industries Are Complex Sales Common?

Complex sales are used in many industries where sophisticated products or services are sold. Key areas include:

• IT: Industrial Internet of Things, low-code platforms.
• Manufacturing: Implementing advanced production technologies.
• Insurance: Corporate insurance policies for large clients.
• Legal services: Areas like intellectual property law.
• Consulting services.

In each of these fields, sales require a deep understanding of the product, a long decision-making cycle, and high-value contracts.

How to Organize the Complex Sales Process

Organizing complex sales successfully starts with understanding that there are no quick fixes — you need to build your processes systematically:

1. Start by analyzing your current situation:
   • Be honest: do you have a "methodological chaos" right now?
   • Define what you want your end result to be.
   • Figure out the steps to get there.
2. Bring in experts:
   • Find a consultant who has experience in your industry.
   • Meet with at least three different experts to get a range of perspectives.
   • Choose the one who best understands the unique challenges of your business.
3. Build your business processes:
   • Study the best practices in your industry.
   • Design new, more effective processes.
   • Implement a specific sales methodology (like Solution Selling).
4. Train your team:
   • Send your managers and salespeople for training in the methodology you've chosen.
   • Be realistic: studies show that 20-30% of salespeople may not be able to adapt to the demands of complex sales.
   • Give your team a chance to see their work and processes from a new angle.
5. Automate your processes:
   • Choose a CRM system that is specifically suited for complex sales.
   • Implement tools that support each stage of your new sales process.
   • Make sure the system allows you to structure all the important information about your deals.

Common Methodologies for Complex B2B Sales

Several methodologies have been developed specifically for complex B2B sales. They all focus on understanding the client's business needs, building long-term relationships, and solving difficult problems.

Solution Selling

This technique focuses on the client's business challenges and providing specialized solutions to solve them. It involves:

• Identifying the client's "pain points."
• Aligning your product or service with their needs.
• Working with multiple stakeholders on the client's side to create a comprehensive solution.

Challenger Selling

This technique is about:

• Challenging the client's assumptions and how they think about their business.
• Helping them make a more informed purchasing decision.
• Effectively selling innovative products that might be unfamiliar to the client.

SPIN-selling

This is a technique based on asking four types of open-ended questions to uncover a client's needs and problems:

• Situation questions: To understand the client's current situation and needs.
• Problem questions: To identify the client's challenges or problems.
• Implication questions: To help the client see the full consequences of their problems.
• Need-Payoff questions: To propose specific solutions, leading them to choose the most suitable one.

By asking these questions, salespeople can gather the information needed to tailor their sales pitch and show the true value of their product or service.

A Brief on Complex Sales

Complex sales in the B2B segment are a special type of sales defined by a sophisticated product, a long deal cycle, and many people involved in the decision-making process. They require a systematic approach and are very different from simple, transactional sales, both in how processes are organized and in the skills required from salespeople. Working with large companies, high deal values, numerous stakeholders, and the need for a deep understanding of the client's business are all hallmarks of Complex Sales.

To be successful in complex sales, it's critical not to mix them with transactional sales in the same business. And you should always start by building your processes first, not by implementing a CRM system. Bringing in experts, training your team on modern sales methodologies (like Solution Selling, SPIN-selling, or Challenger Selling), and then choosing the right automation tools can significantly increase your effectiveness and boost your business's profitability.