The Challenger Sale
Driving Growth by Taking Control of the
Customer Conversation
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IT ALL MADE SENSE
Core Beliefs
Customer
Centricity
Customer
Understanding
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Customer
Relationships
Customer
Value
A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUYING
57%
Customer
Due Diligence
Begins
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Customer
Contacts
Supplier
Customer
Purchase
Decision
KEY DRIVERS OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Contribution to Customer Loyalty
Drivers of Customer
Loyalty
53%
• Rep offers unique,
valuable perspectives on
the market
• Rep helps me navigate
alternatives
• Rep helps me avoid
potential land mines
9%
• Rep educates me on
new issues and
outcomes
19%
• Supplier is easy to buy
from
19%
Company and
Product and
Value-to-Price
Brand Impact Service Delivery
Ratio
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
Purchase
Experience
• Supplier has widespread
support across
organization
POTENTIAL DRIVERS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE
Sample Attributes Tested
Attitudes
Skills/Behaviors
Activities
Knowledge
• Desire to Seek
Issue Resolution
• Business Acumen
• Sales Process
Adherence
• Industry
Knowledge
• Evaluation of
Opportunities
• Product
Knowledge
• Willingness to
Risk Disapproval
• Accessibility
• Customer Needs
Assessment
• Communication
• Preparation
• Goal Motivation
• Use of Internal
Resources
• Outcome Focus
• Negotiation
• Administration
• Attachment to the
Company
• Relationship
Management
• Curiosity
• Solutions Selling
• Discretionary
Effort
• Teamwork
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• Lead Generation
THE FIVE PROFILES OF SALES REPS
Hard Worker
Challenger
• Always goes the
extra mile
• Doesn’t give up
easily
• Self-motivated
• Interested in
feedback and
development
Relationship Builder
• Always has a
different view of
the world
• Builds strong
customer
advocates
• Understands the
customer’s
business
• Generous in giving
time to help others
• Loves to debate
• Gets along with
everyone
• Pushes the
customer
Lone Wolf
• Follows own
instincts
• Self-assured
• Independent
Problem Solver
• Reliably responds
• Ensures that all
problems are
solved
• Detail oriented
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
CHALLENGER REPS MOST LIKELY TO WIN
Percentage of Core Performers
Percentage of High Performers
Percentage of Population
39%
26%
25%
23%
22%
15%
17%
14%
12%
7%
The Challenger
The Lone Wolf
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
The Hard Worker
The Problem
Solver
The Relationship
Builder
THE CHALLENGER FINGERPRINT
Challenger Rep Behaviors
• Offers unique perspective
• Two-way communication skills
Teach
• Knows customer value drivers
• Can ID economic drivers
Tailor
• Is comfortable discussing money
Take
Control
• Can pressure the customer
Build Constructive Tension
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
CHALLENGERS EXCEL IN COMPLEX SALES
Relationship Builder
Percentage of High Performers
Problem Solver
11%
18%
4%
7%
10%
25%
Hard Worker
26%
Lone Wolf
25%
54%
Challenger
20%
Low Complexity Sale
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
High Complexity Sale
NOT JUST ANY TEACHING
Lead to Your
Unique Strengths
Challenge
Customers’
Assumptions
Catalyze
Action
Scale Across
Customers
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
DON’T LEAD WITH, LEAD TO
Level of Customer Excitement
Positive
Our
Solution
Reframe
Neutral
Warmer
A New
Way
Rational
Drowning
Emotional
Impact
Negative
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
5 QUESTIONS TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT
1. Do you know where your customers learn?
2. Are you present where your customers learn?
3. Are you teaching customers or unteaching them?
4. Does your insight lead exclusively to you?
5. Are you building Challenger reps—or a
Challenger organization?
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
PORTRAIT OF THE NEW HIGH PERFORMER
Teach for
Differentiation
Tailor for
Resonance
Take
Control
The Challenger Rep
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
LEARN MORE
Read:
www.thechallengersale.com
Connect:
The Challenger Sale LinkedIn Group
Follow and Join the Discussion:
@CEB_Challenger
© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.