the most important takeaways from the challenger sale book

Supplier has widespread support across my organization.Īs a result, adopting a Challenger-type model is one of the main sales objectives for many companies:ģ) Sales Reps are Struggling to Adapt to Customer Expectations.

Rep educates me on new issues and outcomes.

Rep helps me avoid potential land mines.

Rep provides ongoing advice or consultation.

Rep offers unique and valuable perspectives on the market.

In their book, Dixon and Adamson point out a few main characteristics of Challengers that make them personal consultants or advisors: What really makes them stand out is their power of insight. This aligns with the successful sales professional type identified by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson from CEB in “The Challenger Sale.”Ĭhallengers, you may recall, teach for differentiation, tailor their message for resonance, and then take control of the sale. They want sales reps to be more of a “trusted advisor” – someone who understands them, knows what they need, and can provide the advice and solutions they are looking for. Nowadays, buyers are looking for consultants, not just someone who’s trying to sell them something or who provides the best product at the cheapest price. Here’s the percentage of sales teams who say the role of sales has increased significantly or somewhat in the following ways over the past five years:Ģ) Buyers Want Sales Reps to be Personal Consultants They set the pace, and we cater to them now.Ĭonsequently, the influence that sales has on a company’s overall business strategy has continued to grow.Īs the report points out: “Sales departments are now positioned to be the testing grounds for advanced technologies of the future, such as automation and intelligence, to meet customers on their turf.” 61% of B2C consumers and 76% of B2B buyers reported that they feel that they have more power in the sales process currently than they did five years ago. Let’s not mince words – buyers and consumers are driving the sale today. Here are a few main takeaways from this report that show current trends in the sales profession what’s expected in the future and what your sales team needs to do in order to be successful in today’s changing marketplace: 1) It’s a Buyers’ Market, and Sales is More Important than Ever But how, exactly?Īnd what does this mean for today’s sales professional? Modern State of SalesĪ few months ago, Salesforce issued their second annual State of Sales report with “insights and trends from over 3,100 global sales trailblazers.” Technology is drastically changing the sales profession in many different ways. Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”ĭriverless cars, the radical revitalization of the retail industry, jobs that are predicted to be replaced by robots – the times certainly are a’changin’.

The most important takeaways from the challenger sale book