The Challenger Sale

See also
Controlling sale; Tailoring for resonance; Teaching for differentiation
Challenger Selling Model adoption, 170–85
Challenger terminology, using, 182–83
customer-centricity, dropping, 175–76
Deb Oler question, asking, 176
full adoption, difficulty of, 179–81
and global operations, 183–85
for high performers as issue, 178–80
identifying/hiring Challengers, 172–73
organizational capability building in, 173–74
pilot program first, 181–82
pitch, words to avoid, 176–78

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reasons for, 179–80, 185, 195
and sales manager effectiveness, 140–41
training, approach to, 174–75
China, Challenger Selling Model in, 184
CIO Executive Board, 188
CLC Recruiting, 187
Coaching, 146–58
basic elements of, 151
business impact of, 151–53
Challenger Coaching Guide, 154–56, 205–7
defined, 151
democratic approach to, 153
and discretionary efforts, increase in, 153
Hypothesis-Based Coaching, 156–58
versus managing, 151
PAUSE framework, 157–58
by sales managers, 146–49
Collectors, role of, ix–x
Commander’s Intent, 145, 149
Commercial Teaching, 55–64
catalyzing action, 61–62
control of ideas as essence of, 125–26
customer reactions to expect, 56, 60–61, 69, 70, 76
customer’s assumptions, challenging, 59–61
Deb Oler question, using, 58–59, 176
defined, 55
effectiveness, reasons for, 62–64
Hypothesis-Based Selling in, 68
insight-customer connection, making, 59–61
insight-supplier connection, making, 56–59
reframing in, 41, 60–61, 63
ROI calculations, focus of, 62
about segmentation, 63–64
about unique customer strengths, 56–59
Commercial Teaching pitch
by ADP Dealer Services (case study), 97–100
building pitch, order of, 75–76
constructing, team approach, 79–80
compared to consultative selling, 79
credibility, building in, 68
customer capabilities, enumerating, 72
customer challenges, assessing, 68
Emotional Impact in, 70–72
as “leading to” versus “leading with,” 77, 96
New Way in, 72
organizational capability building in, 80
Rational Drowning in, 70
Reframe in, 68–69

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resistance to use, 77
and SAFE-BOLD framework, 81–83
simplicity of, 77–80
Solution in, 72–74
steps in (diagram), 66
supplier, first reference to, 73–74
supporting data, presenting, 70
Warmer in, 67–68
“we’re different” objection, countering, 70–71, 125–26
words to avoid, 176–78
by W. W. Grainger (case study), 83–96
Communications programs, insight, need for, 190
Competition, beating, with unique customer strengths, 56–59
Complaint-to-market impact model, 192
Concessions
handling, DuPont method, 133–37
patterns to avoid, 137, 175
Confidence, of Challengers, 119–39
Confirmation bias, 165
Consensus-based sale, rise of, 9, 101
Consultants
Challengers as. 
see
Teaching for differentiation
to customers, in purchase decisions, 10–11
Consultative selling, compared to Challenger method, 79
Controlling sale, 40–41, 119–39
assertion versus aggression, 40–41, 126–30
as Challenger skill, 24, 33, 119–20, 123–25, 131
concessions, handling, 133–37
difficulty of, 130–31
DuPont, case study, 131–38
examples of, 41–42
misconceptions about, 120–30
preparing reps for, 130–34
reframing in, 125–26
and Relationship Builders, 120, 123–25
and sales process, 138
Credibility, building in pitch, 67–68
Customer-centricity
defined, 176
negative impact of, 130, 175–76
Customer needs
analysis, in loyalty survey, 105
Challenger’s approach to, 63–64
customization needs, 10
and Hypothesis-Based Selling, 68
outcome-oriented approach, 110–18
segmentation based on, 63–64
solution selling approach, 44–45

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Customer objections
concessions, handling, 133–37
“we’re different” objection, countering, 70–71, 125–26
Customers
Challenger skills related to, 35–41
and consensus-based sale, 9
FUD factor, 70
key challenges, assessing, 67–68
loyalty survey, 46–54
needs.