Deal Clinching Drake Formula

Falling across one of the world’s longest running tv shows was a humblingly mind-boggling experience. Issues that The Sky At Night raises can make your head explode. Yet on the rare occasions I’ve tuned in you can’t help but admire how it tries to talk cosmology in everyday simple language.

On the current programme, they examined the impact of the SETI project, aimed at finding alien communication.

The starting point was how likely is it that we are not alone? I’ve come across the Fermi Paradox before (there must be life, but if it exists, why hasn’t it found us already?), now a new layer was introduced to me through the Drake Formula.

Here, the eponymous boffin proposed the seven items that can be multiplied together to calculate such probability. The logic of the process shines with the brilliance of simplicity. The values you multiply are roughly:

formed stars

stars with planets

planets that could support life

life that comes into existence

existence which bears life that’s intelligent

intelligent life that could talk to another civilisation

civilisation lifespan

Naturally, it wasn’t long before I saw an application for the same field of logic on sales campaigns. Surely you can construct a similar formula for the likelihood of winning a deal?

But wait… shouldn’t the knowledge of such forces be an integral pillar for any sales process?

There can’t be that many variables that can directly influence a sale. After all, if the probability of finding ET rests on just seven, then surely seven’s as far as anything earth-bound could ever go?

You could even mirror the progression of Drake’s variables … here’s one outline by way of example with six steps:

prospect exhibits problem

problem acknowledgement

acknowledgement quantifiable

quantifiable to provide action

action judges as number one your solution

solution unlocks funds