When Quantum Mechanics and Sales Prospecting Collide

The idea for this blog post was inspired by watching an episode of Silicon Valley.

I know it’s not as cool as saying I was inspired after reading a scholarly textbook on quantum mechanics but in my defense the tv series is rather entertaining.

The episode was titled Binding Arbitration ( episode 9/season 2 ) and the concept of schrödinger's cat was explained .

I hit pause on the episode, pulled up google and went on a deep dive as I was fascinated by this concept.

 

A Thought Experiment

 

In 1935 during discussions with Albert Einstein, an Austrian physicist named Erwin Schrodinger came up with a thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat.

A cat is placed in a box. The box contains a Geiger counter (a radiation detector), a vial of poison, a hammer, and a radioactive substance.

The radioactive substance will at some unknown point in time decay. This will set off the Geiger detector which in turn triggers the hammer to release the poison.

The poison then kills the cat.

A Paradox

 

We don’t know when the radioactive substance will decay as it’s a random process.

According to physicists, the Atom exists in a state known as a superposition. The atom is both decayed and not decayed at the same time.

Therefore until the box is opened and the contents observed, we will never know if the cat is dead or alive.

The cat remains both dead and alive at the same time (until observed). This thought experiment was used by Schrodinger to explain an idea related to wave particles.

 

The connection with sales prospecting

 

We all love a healthy sales pipeline.

It makes us feel good, it gives us a sense of confidence about the future and above all else it allows us to confidently make monthly projections in front of our sales manager.

Caution: Our so-called healthy pipeline can become a trap.

How many times have we avoided calling a prospect for fear of rejection?

If we are all being honest many of us at one point in time have avoided making calls because we prefer to see a full pipeline rather than an empty one.

Are we unwittingly applying “Schrodinger's Cat” theory?

Maybe we are thinking it’s better the prospect sits in our pipeline because until we call them it will always remain an opportunity.

After all, a full pipeline can create a sense of optimism albeit a false one at times!

The Solution

Open the box and observe if the cat is dead or alive.

Make those prospect calls and confirm if they are true opportunities or not.