40% of the most successful salespeople favor the Challenger sales style.
And in the field of complex sales, more than 50% of the best salespeople correspond to the Challenger profile.
These are the statistics revealed by a study conducted with more than 6,000 salespeople (source: Gartner).
These figures highlight the significant impact of the Challenger Sale model in sales.
In this new episode of Sales Education, we'll explore in detail why this model has revolutionized selling, its core principles, and why it will become your indispensable ally.
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Let's start by exploring the foundations of the Challenger Sale and how it clearly differentiates it from traditional sales approaches.
1. The principle of the Challenger Sale
The Challenger Sale is a sales model that focuses on the Challenger Business Developer. It is based on four key principles: teaching, personalization, control, and exploration.
Unlike a traditional sales approach, the Challenger doesn't just present a generic offer.
But he seeks to understand the needs of the customer in order to offer a tailor-made solution that meets his needs. This approach is intended to be more consultative, with the salesperson acting as an advisor or expert, helping customers make the right decision.
It suggests distinct strategies for engaging the customer, creating an environment that is more conducive to reflection, and taking them out of their comfort zone.
According to the inventors of this approach (Dixon and Adamson), with the right training and sales tools, salespeople can take control of any conversation with a customer.
Challengers don't just tell customers what they want to hear or what they already know. They offer customers new ideas and perspectives that they hadn't considered.
The Challenger Sale sales model encourages being proactive in negotiation and conversation. He insists that salespeople fearlessly engage with prospects, question their existing solutions, and offer better alternatives.
Discover the 3 principles of the Challenger Sale below.
According to studies conducted by Dixon and Adamson, there are 5 types of salespeople, let's see which ones together.
2. The 5 types of salespeople
The Challenger Sale model identifies 5 distinct sales profiles, each with their own specific attitudes and behaviors.
🧑🏻 💻 The Hard Worker
This salesman stands out for his perseverance. He is ready to go beyond the ordinary, is not easily discouraged, is self-sufficient, and appreciates feedback and personal development opportunities.
👥 The Relationship Builder
The Relationship Builder is an expert in building strong relationships with customers. He builds customer loyalty, develops supportive people, is ready to help others by sharing his time generously, and gets along well with everyone.
🐺 The Lone Wolf
The Lone Wolf is an independent salesperson, who follows his own instincts and is confident in his decisions, often preferring to work independently. It's not the easiest to manage in a team!
🛠 The Problem Solver
This sales profile is distinguished by its reliability and attention to detail. He is committed to solving all the problems of his customers, ensuring their satisfaction. He likes to help.
⚡️ The/the Challenger
The Challenger brings a unique perspective to the sales process. He sees the world differently, deeply understands the client's business issues, is competent in debates, and encourages the customer to step out of their comfort zone.
A Challenger Sales is distinguished by these characteristics:
- Strong two-way communication skills (listening and speaking) that allow him to effectively engage customers.
- Knowledge of the value drivers of each customer, which allows them to respond precisely to their needs.
- An understanding of the main economic drivers of each client, facilitating discussions on financial aspects.
- An ability to bring new and innovative perspectives to customers.
- A skill in persuading customers to make informed decisions.
To go further in the method, discover the pros and cons of the Challenger Sale method below.
But what steps does a Challenger salesperson take to lead the conversation?
3. The stages of the Challenger Sale
When interacting with a Challenger sales representative, potential customers go through various emotional stages. In fact, this is where we recognize the best salespeople. Here's how a Challenger effectively guides the conversation:
🔥 The Warm-Up or the warm-up phase
The first step is establishing credibility by demonstrating their expertise without discussing their solution. They thus create a solid base.
📈 Reframing for Growth Opportunities or reformulation for growth opportunities
During the second stage, Challengers rephrase the problems in surprising ways, arousing the curiosity of customers to discover new perspectives.
Powerful Use of Emotions
Recognizing that emotions deeply influence buying decisions, Challenger salespeople use emotional language and relevant stories to build a strong connection with prospects.
⭐️ Value Proposition or the value proposition
At this stage, Challengers present an ideal solution with detailed characteristics and capabilities that prospects require to solve their problems. They help prospects understand the benefits of this specific solution and why it is the best choice.
🎁 Positioning the Product
The final step is showing that their product is the best option, while helping customers understand how it works, and finally closing the sale.
To go further, discover our article relying on the Challenger Sale method.
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