"The Challenger Sale" a Quick Summary

by Robb Woolsey

I am a Challenger, now I am not saying that I am challenging, though my colleagues might disagree. I have used this process to be successful in my entrepreneurial ventures and my sales career.

Challengers are the debaters on the team. They have a deep understanding of the customer’s business and use that understanding to push the customer’s thinking and teach them something new about how they can compete more effectively. They are not afraid to share their views, even when they are different and potentially controversial. Challengers are assertive and tend to press customers both on thinking and price.

I am in the process of working through the book "The Challenger Sale Taking Control of the Conversation"; below is a quick summary.

In a world of hesitant, risk-averse, empowered customers, where research and product is but a mouse click away, what sales approach consistently wins?

To find out, CEB surveyed over 6000 sales reps across geographies and industries. The research revealed that sales reps fall into one of five profiles:

1. The Hard Worker
2. The Problem Solver
3. The Challenger
4. The Relationship Builder
5. The Lone Wolf

Each profile can turn in average performance, but only one consistently outperforms - the Challenger.

    The graph below show the percentage of high performers per profile

Each rep embodies characteristics from each profile however for almost every rep a specific subset of the attributes defines their primary approach to customers.

According to the research the Challenger is so much more effective and likely to win than any other profile, that 40% of all star performers fall into the Challenger profile as compared to the Relationship Builder which only has 7% representation in this elite group.

4 Principles of building the Challenger Selling Model into the organization;

1. Challengers are made, not just born
1. According to the research every rep in the study had traces of the Challenger "gene" with the right tools, training, coaching, and reward and recognition system, many reps can be equipped to act more like Challengers at least in front of customers.
2. It’s the combination of skills that matters
1. The ability to teach, tailor and take control, while maintaining constructive tension.
3. Challenging is about organizational capability, not just the rep skills
1. In order to implement this model across all reps, it’s as much about building organizational skills as it is about developing individual skills
4. Building the challenger sales force is a journey, not an overnight trip

With many organizations focus on hiring Relationship Reps and the stark contrast in results between the Challenger and Relationship profiles, this book offers a different perspective on the struggles that many sales organizations face today. In todays exceedingly complex sales environment this book should be in your top 10 must reads.

What are your thoughts? Have you read the book? What struggles are you or your sales teams facing today? Do you think this could be at the root?