The Six C’s: How to Win the Right Sales
(and Walk Away from the Wrong Ones)
Not every sale is worth making. Frazer Mackay shares his proven “Six C’s” framework for evaluating sales opportunities – developed over 20 years and applied to every sales situation since.
Most of us have watched the “Sell me this pen” scene from the film The Wolf of Wall Street. That’s not about selling; that’s about identifying where the demand is – the “Who”- and satisfying that need with the “What.” In that case, a pen. The sale is what comes next, when the customer agrees to pay a certain amount of money to obtain that pen.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of books and courses relating to sales techniques. I’m going to try to avoid going down those well-trodden paths. Rather, I’d like to share with you my theory about what makes a sale viable and hence worth the investment in time.
I came up with this theory in 2004, and I’ve applied it to every sales situation I’ve been in since. It’s never let me down. I call it the Six C’s.
A sale requires at least two parties: the seller (you) and the purchaser (your customer). You have to offer something at a certain price, and the customer has to agree to pay you in line with your conditions of sale. Effectively, you are forming a contract.
The sale links the “Who” to the “How.”
So, in preparing for a sale, I use the Six C’s:
1. Customer
Does this customer fit the “Who” that I envisaged? If not, then I could be wasting my time trying to make a sale that will never succeed. Or, I could make the sale only to have a dissatisfied customer later.
Make sure the customer understands what your “thing” is.
2. Competition
Can I beat the competition with my “What”? Do they have an advantageous position? Why waste time quoting if you can’t win? Do you want to be used as a check price? Perhaps you have to quote to maintain a relationship.
Try to select opportunities where your “thing” has the advantage.
3. Contract
Will I be able to make this sale on terms that are favourable to me? What’s my risk?
Don’t get beaten up by an aggressive purchaser. If you’re on strong ground based on the other C’s, negotiate if necessary, but don’t be taken advantage of.
4. Cost (of Sale)
How much will making the sale cost me? Some tenders can be expensive. Will the bid process erode my margins?
Be realistic about the time and resources required to win the work.
5. Capacity
Do I have the headroom and resources required to take this work on and deliver it successfully? Does it fit my “How”? Will I fail to deliver on my promises and impact my reputation adversely?
Don’t overcommit. It’s better to decline work you can’t deliver than to damage your reputation.
6. Compelling Offer
Does this make sense? Will I be able to provide my “thing” at a price that the customer can afford? Am I well-positioned? Is this a gamble or a safe bet? Am I spending my time wisely?
How to Use the Six C’s
If the response to each of these filters is positive, then my advice is to go for it and try your best to make that sale work. Stick to your pricing model; don’t get beaten up by an aggressive purchaser. You are on strong ground. Negotiate if necessary, but don’t be taken advantage of.
If the response to any of these filters is negative, then please take care and consider your position carefully. You might need to walk away from the opportunity rather than risk an unhappy ending, and by declining, you might be doing your customer a favor. By all means, consider mitigation measures, but again, there is a risk that you will fool yourself into thinking that you can make something work when the reality is you can’t.
Don’t try to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!
A Final Thought
Finally, don’t forget that you can turn this around. In situations where you are the purchaser – buying materials, for example – look at these filters from the other side. “Can this supplier…?” You might avoid buying something that the supplier fails to deliver to your satisfaction.
The Six C’s aren’t just about winning sales; they’re about winning the right sales –
the ones that will make your business stronger, more profitable, and more sustainable.