Situation: The Tehachapi Zeppelin Company sells enormous airships to transportation and logistics companies. Each airship costs millions of dollars, and the sales cycle is multiple months long. One sales manager has noticed that bigger deals take longer to close, so he’s encouraging his sales reps to add extra meetings to the sales process in hopes of increasing average deal size. This is an example of:
- Adding force
- Removing friction
- Adding good friction
- Adding bad friction
Explanation: Encouraging sales representatives to add extra meetings to the sales process with the intention of increasing average deal size, despite the observation that bigger deals already take longer to close, is an example of Adding bad friction. In this scenario, the sales manager’s directive introduces unnecessary complexity and delays into the sales cycle without addressing the underlying factors contributing to extended deal durations. Adding additional meetings may overwhelm prospects, prolong the decision-making process, and create frustration, ultimately hindering deal progression rather than facilitating it. Moreover, this approach fails to consider the quality of interactions and whether additional meetings add value or merely add unnecessary steps to the sales process. Instead of enhancing deal size, the imposition of extra meetings may result in diminishing returns, as prospects may perceive the sales process as cumbersome and opt for more streamlined alternatives. Therefore, selecting ‘Adding bad friction’ accurately describes the negative consequences of introducing unnecessary complexity and delays into the sales process without effectively addressing the underlying factors influencing deal closure.