If you want to sell an idea effectively, you need to understand what motivates the people you’re selling to. That’s why I shared Clarke’s Selling Grid and strongly hinted that you don’t try to fill it out perfectly on your own.
Let me explain why, with an example.
Do you remember this from last week?
Did you look at the CEO row?
Looking stupid?
Huh?
The CEO Story: Why You Need to Ask, Not Assume
If you’re familiar with the Theory of Constraints, you might assume that a CEO’s biggest concern is making more money. After all, Eli Goldratt famously said, “The goal of a company is to make money now and in the future.”
So it would make sense - logically - to fill out the CEO row with:
- Now/Before: “Our projects are late, and we’re not earning as much as we could.”
- Then/After: “Our projects deliver faster, and we’re earning more money.”
But real life isn’t always that simple. People have pride and emotions.
I once sat with the CEO of a 3,000-person company to talk about his Agile initiative. At first, he echoed the usual talking points—collaboration, flexibility, better teamwork. But he didn't mention speed or money.
I said,
“I thought you’d want your teams to go faster so you could make more money.”
He nodded, but then he paused, frowned, and said:
“Well, yes, but… I think we’d be getting ahead of ourselves. You know what I really want? I wish your teams would deliver on time. Right now, I look like an idiot. I can’t predict when our products will launch. I can’t announce them. I can’t kick things off. The lack of predictability makes me look incompetent."
He actually said something cruder than incompetent, but you get my drift.
He continued,
"What I want is for you to make a promise about delivery dates and then keep that promise. That would make me look good.”
Which, years later, is why the POTENT part of POTENT Projects stands for:
- Profitable
- On Time,
- or Early,
- ANd
- Turbocharged.
That conversation floored me. I’d assumed the CEO cared most about profits(P and T). But his immediate, emotional need was about predictability and reputation (the benefits of OT and E).
Why You Need Feedback
This is why you need to take your Selling Grid and share it with others. Talk to the people your idea impacts. Listen to what they say. Adjust your grid based on their insights.
You can't help them use your brilliant ideas if you don't understand what makes them tick.
It’s better to start messy and refine your understanding than to guess in a vacuum. You’ll uncover motivations and problems you didn’t expect—and those insights will make your idea far more compelling.
Ready to Try It?
A handful of your fellow reads took my advice last week and tried it. It wasn't easy! It wasn't all that hard either. Empathy is hard!
Summary: Start by sketching out your grid. Fill it in with your best guesses, but don’t stop there. Take it to your customers, your colleagues, or your stakeholders. Ask questions. Listen closely. You might be surprised by what really matters to them.
Clarke
PS "what's on your mind?"; hit reply; say hello!