Managerialism Qualifier

There's been much handwringing in England over the red tape lunacy thwarting essential infrastructure builds.

The world's costliest railway decades delayed. The world's most expensive nuclear plant possibly eclipsing the record for most expensive building ever. Projects with eighty thousand page compliance docs costing a quarter of a billion, without a single spade going in the ground.

Those outside the legal-cum-construction gravy train rightly rage. Sowell nailed it with, 'for bureaucrats, procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing'. The lanyard classes get called out, and deservedly so.

Whilst we've long had this issue in solution sales, it feels plumbing darker depths today.

Any 'system' tends to highlight a step for decision process.

Best bring it out sooner rather than later.

Evolution urges the distinction between the nod and the dotted line. The added 'P' into Meddic separating paperwork from mere verbal yes, for instance.

There's forever that pet project of prime ministers and presidents that can ride over blocks. If our person with the pain hurts badly, has enough pull, and perhaps relishes the chance to make a killer point hotly, then any box-tick barrier can be beaten.

But that's quite the full house for a deal's hand to hold.

The sharp qualifying routines start with previously proposed procurements.

One of the first tactics I absorbed as cubrep for navigating decision making machinations;

"Who else is typically involved in discussions of this nature?"

In the round, there's what our biggest fan has bought before. Or had knocked back recently. With who was on sentry duty next.

Asking them to detail what happened to Stop/Go their purchase.

Then there's other hopeful buyer requests to consider.

And after those, what may have been added to (or removed from) the current toolkit of authority holders.

From but one small example from my own selling as a startup back at the dawn of the century. I uncovered a rather tricky form a bluechip wanting my salesteam knowledge management 'app' had to get completed from Accounts Payable. You needed the official approval upfront to get put on their system and get paid.

Problem was, the extensive list of questions were clearly geared at people not at all like me. A plucky handful in crew, trailblazing cloud based tech, unusual monthly subs.

Potentially plenty of red flags that'd cause serious delay. Or even the dreaded declined stamp.

I raised my concerns with the Sales leader, then sought solace from the (highly supportive) Chief Exec. And together they had quiet words with Finance.

An amended form duly appeared.

Although not hugely outside the norm back then, their CEO confiding in me stuck;

"Yeah, we gotta streamline this kind of stuff".

When they need you, they'll move for you. But you must get on top of what.