How to Navigate the Overton Window in B2B Sales: Mastering Client Expectations

Understanding where your ideas fall within your client's Overton Window can be the key to closing bigger, more profitable deals.

The Overton window is a concept that defines the spectrum of acceptable government policies. It suggests that politicians can only act within a certain range. Shifting the Overton window involves proponents of policies outside the window persuading the public to expand the range of acceptability.

If you are in the sweet spot of the Overton window, your idea may be popular, plausible, or even become policy. In our current presidential contest, participants have ideas that are well within the Overton window and outside of it. If you are outside of the window, your ideas are considered implausible, radical, or unthinkable.

Despite the many things they disagree on, both contestants in the current presidential race seem to agree on no taxes on tips, something that easily slips into the Overton window among voters. However, many economists see eliminating a tax on tips as outside the Overton window, which shows how context influences what is considered radical.

Note: This is not an article about our presidential election. It is about your Overton window in B2B sales. We can use the concepts behind this idea to evaluate what we ask clients to buy.

Applying Overton Window Theory to B2B Sales Strategy

As a young salesperson working in Los Angeles, California, I often sold outside my Overton window. One of my leaders was unhappy with me because I asked my prospective client to remove their current supplier and allow me to replace them. My VP would try to convince me to ask for a single order instead. To be certain, my ask was outside the Overton window, while hers was inside the window, even though one order was too little to make a difference for the client’s business or ours.

Later, I would ask my prospective clients to allow me to take over an entire category. Much of the time, I was within the range of possibility because my competitors were failing. Other pursuits found me outside of what was possible for the client, causing me to fail to displace my competitor.

Assessing Client Readiness for Major Purchases

Imagine you sell large machines. Your client needs a new machine that you happen to sell. Selling this large, expensive, complex machine is within the window. However, if you ask to replace a second machine to improve efficiency, the cost may place you outside the range of possibility.

You may need to read the room to understand what your client is ready for—even if you believe they should buy what you want to sell. You may also find that you and your solution are outside the Overton window, especially when selling something new to your prospective clients.

Some voters believe that their candidate’s proposals are within the range of what is possible, while others view them as outside the window. Similarly, in enterprise-level deals, your contacts will argue over what is right and good. Large companies often have a political environment where different people debate change initiatives, the right answers for their solutions, and who they trust to help them achieve their goals.

You may have experienced a deal where one party is inside the Overton window, while another party pursues something that is unnecessary, unrealistic, or implausible.

Evaluating Long-Term Sales Potential with the Overton Window

You can use this idea to evaluate prospective clients and determine what they are ready to explore or execute. You may have the best idea for your client, even if they find it beyond what they are prepared to take on.

When working with aggressive clients, you might need to adjust your ideas to match theirs, which may be outside the range of what is typical. You may find that operating on the edge can be difficult to execute. One client asked me to take over their entire operation. We had to hire people to manage it, and it took time to learn how best to execute something that was way outside our Overton window.

The Overton Window: A New Framework for Sales Leadership

We are adapting a concept from politics to explore what is possible for your clients and what is unlikely because it falls outside the Overton window. You may be ahead of your client, ready to sell something they aren’t prepared to accept. When this happens, you must make adjustments so your advice is within what your client perceives as possible and acceptable.

The Overton window is a different and helpful way to qualify what your contacts are ready to change. The more conservative the client, the more you will need to stay within the traditional range of options.

If you are a sales leader, you may need to help your team stretch the window if they are proposing something new. The less your client understands what you are proposing, the more you will need to acclimate them to the idea. You may find that competitors seeking a first-mover advantage may force you to engage in this race (as seen now with AI solutions).

Do good work and pay attention to what is and is not possible. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.