First Principles Audit for Cycle Shrinkage

Building on my recent SpaceX mega-IPO inspired Magic Wand and Idiot Index for Sales post.

I mentioned the power of a First Principle Audit to truncate deal timelines. Best I add colour, by way of working template. Lift off how you see fit.

Take your fastest, cleanest wins. Ones that felt almost effortless. Ran like a dream. Even obstacles somehow fuelled confidence.

Critically though, also ensure they gained precisely the kind of client we're after. Full of sweet spot bullseye, clear problem definition, legacy in spades.

Lay them out like raw material on the rocket scientists' table.

Ask yourself these revealing questions to map out our ideal bid.

What was the absolute minimum sequence of touches that actually moved the deal forward?
Which activities added real momentum, and which were just expensive theatre we performed because 'that’s how it’s done'?
Where did we wait in consecutive limbo when we could have run things concurrently?
Which meetings, approvals, or box-ticks carried the highest Idiot Index (lots of time and effort for very little progress)?
If we were building this sales process from scratch today, knowing what we now know, what would we stop doing or redesign completely?
What did the buyer actually need to see, feel, and believe to say yes?
And how many of our steps were really for us, not them?

Keep an eye for the buyer. Because the fastest route means nothing if they feel like you’re pushing them along at your pace, not theirs. The deals that compress best are the ones where the buyer feels helped by the speed, not hurried. Strip the fat, but never strip the trust.

Consider the numbers too. Typical cycle times overall. Split between deals already near-optimal and the rest. Real touch counts. Range of lags, from time 'leaks' (aka 'process debt') such as awaiting feedback. internal review or alignment calls.

Do this exercise once or twice and themes jump out. You’ll start seeing the shape of your perfect deal far more clearly. For instance, from perennials like Executive sponsorship from the off and genuinely unique solution bought into.

You already carry an inkling of the swiftest paths from the clients you’ve won. Start from there, then optimise ruthlessly. If an action doesn’t clearly move the deal forward or de-risk it, it gets refined or deleted. We already know longer cycles stifle momentum. So as I said before, let’s give velocity a chance to propel us.