But in reality, it doesn\u2019t normally go like that. In fact, the average customer is already 57% of the way through the buying process<\/a> when they first make meaningful contact with us.<\/p>\n At that point, they already have pretty clear ideas about the type of product they need, the features they\u2019re looking for, and how much it\u2019ll cost.<\/p>\n In this context, a sales rep\u2019s role has to change. They can either become an order-taker, waiting for a customer to get in touch and giving them exactly what they ask for.<\/p>\n Or they can reposition themselves as a challenger.<\/p>\n As you probably guessed, their sales model is centered on the first category: Challengers. It states that Challengers are best placed to deliver strong results in the current sales climate, through their ability to:<\/p>\n So who exactly are the Challengers? Well, according to Adamson and Dixon, they\u2019re reps who:<\/p>\n Does that sound like the people on your sales team?<\/p>\n If not, don\u2019t worry. Adamson and Dixon say any <\/em>rep can become a Challenger, even those who currently fall into one of the other four categories. All it takes is the right training and tools.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not currently used to challenging your customers, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about.<\/p>\n Surely it\u2019s better to just give the customer what they want, rather than risk losing the deal by trying to lead them in a different direction?<\/p>\n Well, you\u2019d be wrong.<\/p>\n To measure the effectiveness of the Challenger Sales Model, Gartner surveyed more than 6,000 sales reps<\/a>, assessing \u201caverage\u201d and \u201cstar\u201d performers across 44 different attributes.<\/p>\n Their findings were striking.<\/p>\n In particular, they discovered that a majority of reps fall into the \u201cRelationship Builder\u201d category. They\u2019re highly adept at holding enjoyable conversations with prospects, geared toward resolving tensions and satisfying demand.<\/p>\n However, just 7% of Relationship Builders were star performers \u2013 the lowest proportion of any category.<\/p>\n In contrast, Challengers are prepared to disrupt their customers\u2019 current thinking and teach them something new.<\/p>\n While this approach might lead to more difficult conversations and occasional conflict, it yields by far the best results. Almost 40% of star performers were Challengers, rising to 54% in complex sales scenarios.<\/p>\n But doing that will likely involve some significant changes in behavior. Adamson and Dixon say Challengers are able to leverage their assertive personalities to display three key skills:<\/p>\n For some reps, all of that will come naturally. Some will find it relatively easy to adapt to the Challenger model with just a little thought and a few subtle adjustments to their current methodology. But others will inevitably struggle to implement the Challenger model successfully without some outside help.<\/p>\n This is why it\u2019s important that the whole sales operation \u2013 and, indeed, the entire organization \u2013 embrace the Challenger approach. That way, front-line reps will always be able to access the support and key insights they require to lead the customer conversation.<\/p>\n Like what you\u2019ve heard so far? Then you\u2019re probably keen to adopt the Challenger Sales Model yourself. Here are three practical steps you can take to make it happen.<\/p>\n Challengers succeed by teaching customers, rather than simply fulfilling a list of demands.<\/p>\n That means they need to be able to educate customers on the benefits of your product. And to do that, they first need to develop a deep understanding of your value proposition.<\/p>\n First, as an organization, you need to define the specific selling points of your product. Why would a prospect choose you over a rival? Which features make the biggest difference? What are the real \u201cwow\u201d moments that justify the price tag?<\/p>\n This is where the Challenger model really comes into its own.<\/p>\n Traditionally, reps might try to build a mutual connection to sell their product. \u201cOh, so you struggle with X? A lot of other prospects tell me that. Well, here\u2019s how our product can help.\u201d<\/p>\n But remember: only 7% of Relationship Builders are top performers.<\/p>\n Instead, your sales pitch should be all about teaching prospects, based around the concept of \u201cshow me, don\u2019t tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n Reps should use their knowledge of the prospect\u2019s business and challenges to define the key benefits that will make the biggest difference, then walk the prospect through specific use cases and case studies that clearly demonstrate the value in your product.<\/p>\n Content marketing plays a key role in supporting this approach. Rather than relying solely on your reps to teach prospects, create content geared toward educating potential customers on your product\u2019s most valuable features before that first touchpoint with your sales team even happens.<\/p>\n Chances are you have more than one audience.<\/p>\n Look at Mailshake. We only sell one product, helping businesses send personalized cold emails at scale, but its potential users range from sales teams to SEO link-builders. Clearly, those are two very different audiences, so our messaging needs to change depending on the prospect in question.<\/p>\n The same is true for you.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to overstate the importance of personalization in the sales cycle, but here are a couple statistics that show why it\u2019s no longer a \u201cnice to have\u201d:<\/p>\n An important point here: personalizing your messaging doesn\u2019t just mean using the prospect\u2019s name at the start of an email, or referencing their organization in a piece of sales collateral.<\/p>\n Instead, it means gearing your whole sales experience toward solving the specific challenges your customer is facing.<\/p>\n Once you understand those challenges, you can follow the Challenger mindset to teach your prospect about the various ways your product provides the perfect solution.<\/p>\n But personalization should also be happening before the prospect has even spoken to one of your reps.<\/p>\n For instance, say they want to download your new ebook. Your data capture form could support your personalization strategy by asking the prospect to give their job title, or choose which department or business function they work within.<\/p>\n That information should be added to your CRM so that all future communications can be tailored to the common pain points and challenges faced by people in their role or department.<\/p>\n Everything you\u2019ve done up to this point puts you in the perfect position to take control and lead your prospect through the sales cycle.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s time to make that happen. After all, taking control is front and center of the Challenger Sales Model.<\/p>\n Of course, the steps required to \u201ctake control\u201d may vary from one scenario to another. But broadly speaking, your goal should be to set clear steps for progressing this opportunity toward a close that your prospect simply can\u2019t say \u201cno\u201d to.<\/p>\n That could look like this:<\/p>\n Make the implications of choosing your product as clear as possible. For instance, spell out the financial cost \u2013 through lost productivity, or lower conversions, or a smaller sales pipeline \u2013 of continuing to operate without your product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As salespeople, we like to picture the sales process a little like this: We reach out to a prospect Through subtle questioning and persuasion, we identify their business challenges and position our product as the solution Convinced by our expertise, they buy from us But in reality, it doesn\u2019t normally go like that. In fact, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6541,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/How-to-Execute-the-Challenger-Sales-Model.jpeg?fit=1138%2C493&ssl=1","yoast_head":"\r\nWhat Is the Challenger Sales Model?<\/h2>\n
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In their book The Challenger Sale<\/a>, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson argue that sales reps fall into one of five categories:<\/p>\n\n
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What\u2019s the Evidence for the Challenger Sales Model?<\/h2>\n
What Behaviors & Characteristics Do Challengers Display?<\/h2>\n
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It’s pretty clear that there are big advantages for reps who adopt the Challenger approach.<\/p>\n\n
3 Steps to Implementing the Challenger Sales Model<\/h2>\n
1. Educate Customers on Your Value<\/h3>\n
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The next step is to define the best way of communicating these key differentiators to potential customers.<\/p>\n2. Use Messaging That Resonates With Your Audience<\/h3>\n
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3. Take Control of the Sale<\/h3>\n
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