In The Challenger Sale we learn how to identify situations and leverage them into our control during the sales process.
To begin, all successful sales representatives need to start with the 3 T's
- Teach: all aspects of business
- Tailor: their messages to the customer's specific needs and objectives
- Take: control of the opportunity at hand
There are many paths to the selling process, but how do we determine which path ends in the greatest success stories and how do we become the winning representatives? After a large study of B2B Reps they determined the 5 kinds of sales representatives:
1. Challengers (27%) - assertive, deep understanding of customers' business, to the point
2. Relationship builders (21%) - Builds strong relationships with customers and clients
3. Hard workers (21%) - Always willing to go the extra mile, motivated
4. Lone wolves (18%) - outlier, confident
5. Reactive problem solvers (14%) - finds solutions, will pass on new opportunities
A challenger representative moves customers out of their comfort zone by showing them their world in a different light. They know how to close and say "Stop wasting my time. Challenge me. Teach me something new." Challengers do not wait for the next step, they are already there. Challengers build relationships, maintain product awareness and have the personality traits to get the job done. Many believe this is a gene you are born with but it is something that can be taught. If we teach all reps to be assertive and the importance of clarity within both clients and customers they will create real value within the sales process. Challengers will close the deals they have while always anticipating the following ones.
While all sales representatives have the ability to be successful, the challengers ability to teach for differentiation, tailor for resonance, and take control of the sale makes them an overall better closer.
Four Important Things to Remember:
1. Challengers are made, not just born
2. It's the combination of skills that matter
3. Challenging is about organizational capability, not just rep skills
4. Building the Challenger sales force is a journey, not an overnight trip
