General George S. Patton applied the OODA loop from pure instinct.
Patton’s ability to quickly strike the enemy’s weak points while avoiding the enemy’s strong points was creating chaos and victory. He applied this methodology in rapid succession without worrying about supply lines or flanks, constantly moving towards the end goal while keeping the enemy disordered.
Eisenhower believed the speed of the success left the flanks too exposed and the supply lines strained so he ordered Patton to stop the charge. This was a great mistake. Speed is the expedient to success of any OODA loop.
The Germans were surprised by the stoppage as they expected to be defeated if Patton continued his campaign. Along with Patton’s speed of application he had trust in his men’s understanding of the ultimate goal. Thus he allowed them to make their own calls under fire, accentuating the devastation that an agile attack can bring. Had Patton been allowed to continue this strategy, the war would’ve ended 6 months earlier than it did.
For any OODA loop to be successful, the subordinates must be trusted while they charge towards the goal. They need the agility to move around obstacles without having to stop to receive an affirmative from leadership. The OODA loop methodology is the quickest route to success, but only if the goal is understood by all and trust is installed throughout the team, from the top down.
First, observe the real enemy. The enemy for a sales team is not the prospect. The enemy is never the prospect. The sales team is trying to recruit prospects to the cause.
The enemy is that boulder, fallen tree or rampaging moose impeding the way downhill to the goal. In sales, the obstacles are credibility, sales apprehension, industry knowledge, pricing and so on.
The teammates must be able to move like water down the hill, managing the obstacles with the swiftness of an uninterrupted and natural course.
To observe, orient, decide and attack at the greatest speed possible, the entire sales team must fully understand the goal and be charged to make decisions as objections appear, without reference to the upper chain of command.
The most practical application of sales agility in the OODA loop is to have a thorough understanding of objections. Patton would’ve prepared a sales team by having them dissect objections, move the pieces around and create new objections and then address all of them successfully. Once that was accomplished, there would be a call for attack, without interference.
Don’t be an Eisenhower. Simplify your sales OODA. Free your team with objection literacy.
Acknowledgements to John Boyd, his creation of the OODA loop and contributions to creative thinking.
