May 2, 2022 – Today’s customer is coming to the table armed with two things that can take control of the sale out of the sales rep’s hands: information and options. With these two powerful tools, the customer has already traversed the majority of the purchase process before “they have the first meaningful contact with a seller,” according to research by Gartner.
Sales reps need to provide a purchase experience that is greater than the tools that the customer already has. Brent Adamson, Vice President, Advisory of Gartner and co-author of The Challenger Sale, Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, says, “Sales organizations can increase business by challenging customers — delivering customer interactions specifically designed to disrupt their current thinking and teach them something new. It’s not just about selling something anymore.”
The Challenger model
The Challenger sales model allows reps to use their understanding of the customer’s business, effectively challenging them to make more informed decisions through the rep’s insight. Here are three ways that Challenger reps set themselves apart:
- Challengers teach for differentiation based on what they know about the customer’s business, utilizing their ability to build a two-way dialogue.
- Challengers tailor the messages based on what they understand about the customer’s economic and value drivers.
- Challengers take control of the sale because they are comfortable discussing money and can pressure the customer to close.