The Challenger Sale

SCORING GUIDE
Add up your score for questions 2 and 3. Write that number
in the “Teaches for Differentiation” box below.
Add up your score for questions 5 and 6. Write that number
in the “Tailors for Resonance” box below.
Add up your score for questions 8 and 9. Write that number
in the “Takes Control” box below.
If you rated yourself highly on questions 1, 4, 7, or 10, this means that
you have natural sales tendencies in other sales profiles. (1 is Relationship
Builder, 4 is Lone Wolf, 7 is Problem Solver, 10 is Hard Worker)
In each box:
8 or Above: Sounds like you’re off to a great start; keep
looking for ways to challenge your customers’ thinking.
5 to 7: You have a good foundation to build on; target an
area for development and start pushing yourself to challenge
more.
4 or Below: This may be a slightly new approach for you;
think about the area where you feel most comfortable and

---

start your personal development there.

---

APPENDIX C
Challenger Hiring Guide: Key Questions
to Ask in the Interview

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

INDEX
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To
find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use
the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be
searchable.
Adamson, Brent, xv
ADP Dealer Services, 97–100
challenges facing, 97–98
Commercial Teaching pitch, 99–100
company information, 97
Profit Clinics, 98–99
success of, 100
Aggression
versus assertion. 
see
Assertiveness
elements of, 127
Alternatives, questions to encourage, 167
Assertiveness
of Challengers, 40–41, 127–29
and controlling sale, 126–30
elements of, 127
forms of, 40–41
Assumptions of customer, challenging, 59–61
BayGroup International, Situational Sales Negotiation method, 132–34
Biases
as obstacles to innovation, 165–66
overcoming, 166–68
Brainstorming, SCAMMPERR framework, 167–68
Bundled goods/services, and solution selling, 6, 61
Burner, Tod, 198–99
Buying behavior, trends related to, 9–11
CEB survey, xii–xv, 2–7, 11–29
areas not studied, 16–17
factor analysis in, 17–18
insights of, 2–6
loyalty survey, 46–54
sales force performance gap, 11–12, 22–23

---

sales force profiles in, xiv, 18–21
sample size, xiv, 15, 46
solution selling, findings on, 5–13
variables tested, 16–17
Challenger Development Program
coaching guide, 156
identifying Challengers, Hiring Guide, 172–73
taking control toolkit, 138
training, 174–75
Challengers
ambiguity, acceptance of, 131
assertiveness of, 40–41, 127–29
characteristics of, xv, 18, 21, 23, 25–26
controlling sale skill of, 24, 33, 119–20, 123–25, 131
economic climate and performance, 27–28
versus high performers, 170–72
identifying for hiring, 172–73, 208–14
positive performance of, xv–xvi, 3, 22–26
price discussions by, 41–42, 119–20
reframing skill of, 41, 125–26
RFP, approach to, 122
selling model based on. 
see
Challenger Selling Model
success, basis of, 41
training for, 31, 172
unique skills of, 24, 26, 30, 32–33, 119–20, 173
Challenger Selling Model
coaching in, 146–58
controlling sale in, 40–41
implementing. 
see
Challenger Selling Model adoption
innovation in, 149–50, 159–68
internal business function applications, 188–95
organizational capability, building in, 33–34, 56, 95–96, 173–74
pillars of, 30, 32–33, 125
tailoring for resonance in, 38–40
teaching for differentiation in, 35–38
time factors in, 34–35