Teach, Tailor, Take Control
Learning the fundamentals of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer to win more deals
Hey there friends -
I’m not shy about my fondness for both MEDDICC and Challenger.
In some circles however, these two (framework and methodology) are talked about as heated rivals, competitors and an either / or option in sales.
It seems as if we need to decide between one or the other.
My belief- however, is if you study them and actually internalize and implement both, you’ll start to see them as both sides of the same coin.
The same coin that helps you qualify opportunities, identify gaps, build champions (and mobilizers) as well as challenge the customer’s status quo with actionable insights for growth.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Will Barron as he talks with Andee Harris - CEO, Challenger on how the Challenger Sale is still relevant in today’s selling environment.
Sam Jacobs talks with Author Brent Adamson on what makes the Challenger Seller AND the Challenger Customer work.
Plus, as I do every week, a handful of snippets, this week focused on teaching, tailoring, and taking control to challenge that status quo and build a team of mobilizers to help you sell.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- subscribe or share it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
Is Challenger Sale Still Effective?
Working a complex deal this week and during an internal meeting, the topic of challenging the customer status quo with insights came up and I remembered this podcast and wanted to share it here.
Listen to one of my favorites - Will Barron as he talks with Andee Harris - CEO, Challenger on how the Challenger Sale is still relevant in today’s selling environment. In fact, as you’ll learn, its arguable even more crucial for today’s sellers.
Customers, during the pandemic, are making decisions based on the influence of peers and colleagues rather than salespeople. Statistically, only 12% of this data comes from the seller.
Highlights:
Bring new, actionable insights to the customer. Motivate to take action with a rational and emotional business case.
Teach, Tailor, Take Control. Drive through mutual actions and constructive tension.
Find Mobilizers (Challenger Customers) 40% of deals fail, if there isn’t a mobilizer in house.
If you’re new to Challenger - give this one a quick listen.
The Fundamentals of Challenger Selling
I really enjoyed this podcast from Sales Hacker host Sam Jacobs as he talks with Author Brent Adamson on what makes the Challenger Seller AND the Challenger Customer work.
Your job is to understand the life and mental model of your customer to help them change.
In summary:
The status quo is not working. Teach them something they don’t know about THEIR company.
Find a mobilizer within each org to effectively challenge the internal status quo and build your business case. Mobilizers consist of: Teacher, Go Getter, Skeptic
It's hard for me to summarize this podcast as there are so many good nuggets here. If you’re interested in learning more or rolling out a Challenger mentality within your sales org - this one is a must listen.
STRETCH SNIPPETS
✅ Problem Solver, Lone Wolf, Hard Worker, Relationship Builder, and Challenger. Why- out of these 5 types of sellers does a Challenger have higher win rates?
🗣 Challenger, Spin, MEDDIC, and more. What do these methodologies, frameworks and processes have in common and how do you blend them together? Check out my previous article on this from a couple years ago and see how they align with your org.
👉 Today’s customers don’t need sales reps in the same way as in the past — customers now wait until they are 57% through the purchase process before contacting a rep. Buyers do independent research and set their own purchase criteria, all before the first seller interaction. - Gartner says this is critical to go beyond Challenger selling and creating a Challenger Customer.
💪"Challengers aren’t so much world-class investigators as they are world-class teachers. They win not by understanding their customers’ world as well as the customers know it themselves, but by actually knowing their customers’ world better than their customers know it themselves, teaching them what they don’t know but should.” The Challenger sales model and methodology is built around a sales process that focuses on teaching, tailoring and taking control of a sales experience.
👏 Check out this five-minute review of the Challenger Sales approach from Hubspot. It covers the key points explored in the book and shows how you can apply them to enhance your sales efforts.
🧠 Mindset
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings, and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights, and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
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