The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation

The authors explain how almost any average-performing rep, once equipped with the right tools, can successfully reframe customers' expectations and deliver a distinctive purchase experience that drives higher levels of customer loyalty and, ultimately, greater growth.. They tailor their sales message to the customer's specific needs and objectives. Once you understand how to identify the Challengers in your organization, you can model their approach and embed it throughout your sales force. They challenge them. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. What's the secret to sales success? If you're like most business leaders, you'd say it's fundamentally about relationships-and you'd be wrong. Rather than acquiescing to the customer's every demand or objection, they are assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale.The things that make Challengers unique are replicable and teachable to the average sales rep. The need to understand what top-performing reps are doing that their average performing colleagues are not drove Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson, and their colleagues at Corporate Executive Board to investigate the skills, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes that matter most for high performance. The authors' study found that every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct p

If you don’t want to be left behind, don’t miss this innovative book that provides the new formula for selling success.”—Ken Revenaugh, vice president, sales operations, Oakwood Temporary Housing “Groundbreaking, timely, and disciplined research—presented in a way that is both intuitive and completely actionable—that has already had an impact on our organization by creating a customer lens that enhanced our sales recruiting, hiring, training, and deployment.”—Jeff Connor, senior vice president and chief growth officer, ARAMARK Global Food, Hospitality and Facility Services “The Challenger Sale shows you how to maintain control of the complex sale. The authors’ groundbreak­ing research explains how the rules for selling have changed—and what

Dave Kinnear said Challenging The Challenger Sale. The good news about The Challenger Sale is that Dixon and Adamson further the concept of consultative selling. Even better, in my estimation, is that the authors seemed to use some solid data on which to base their theories. I like some of their approach such as, “Lead to your solution not with your solution,” and “Differentiate yourself by showing your customer something new about their industry that they didn't know or provide them with a different view.” I believe the authors also get it right when. "Strong research and important sales insights" according to J. F. Malcolm. This book comes very highly touted, especially by Neil Rackham himself, who calls it "the most important advance in selling for many years."I personally don't think it reaches quite that level, but overall it is an excellent book, with provocative insights and useful information for salespeople looking for ways to break out of the pack.The key to a really good book is that it makes you say, "I never thought of that before," and to use that insight to improve your life in some way. Interestingly, that's also the key to a real. Tom said Not written for sales reps. This audio book was not at all what I was looking for. Instead of providing insights that help sales reps take control of the conversation it ironically seems written for sales managers to take control away from reps by training all to fit the challenger model. Very tedious. I had to work hard to mine a few useful nuggets.

Matthew Dixon is a managing director and Brent Adamson is a senior director with Corporate Executive Board's Sales Executive Council in Washington, D.C. About Corporate Executive BoardBy identifying and building on the proven best practices of the world's best companies, Corporate Executive Board (CEB) helps senior executives and their teams drive corporate performance. For more info