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. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. They challenge them.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. And what they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in decades.
Based on an exhaustive study of thousands of sales reps across multiple industries and geographies, The Challenger Sale argues that classic relationship building is a losing approach, especially when it comes to selling complex, large-scale business-to-business solutions. The authors' study found that every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct profiles, and while all of these types of reps can deliver average sales performance, only one-the Challenger- delivers consistently high performance.Instead of bludgeoning customers with endless facts and features about their company and products, Challengers approach customers with unique insights about how they can save or make money. They tailor their sales message to the customer's specific needs and objectives. 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. Once you understand how to identify the Challengers in your organization, you can model their approach and embed it throughout your sales force. 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.
©2011 Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (P)2012 Gildan Media Corp
"The most important advance in selling for many years." (Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling)
"One novel idea. Only need to listen first chapter"
One novel idea. Only need to listen first chapter. Very repititious in the last half of the book
"Where is the beef?"
Interesting ideas and ways to think about sales process and methodology. Like the concepts. Some things I will need to lookin
Like LEAST: No/very limited (2) real examples. Spent 70% of the time selling you on what it is like to be a challenger with out showing examples. It was very frustrating.
Assumes that you get a deep understanding with out asking questions - just magically will get it all the deep understanding by comparable analysis.
I work for a F1000 enterprise software company.
N/A
Stop using the phrase in other words ~20x the phrased was used.
no
has potential. needs more examples.
"Illustrations and materials for full effect"
I am looking for the illustrations from the book. In the past I found one website page that I belive had all the illustrations but I can't find it again. I do recomend visiting the Bonus-Materials site.
Please respond if you can share a link to all the illustrations I am missing from using the audio only.
Thank you!
"The title should be The Experienced Sale because.."
it describes in detail the characteristics of an experienced salesperson's approach. Teach, tailor and take control are inherit of a seasoned pro. Teaching is something one is challenged to do without experience. I believe if a company decides to invest in the market research and training to bridge the gap of their new hires this book may have more application.
idk
referencing other people's accomplishments
no.
nothing revolutionary about this book.
Media Maverick
"Who Are You?"
The readers, who I believe are the authors read this enthusiastically and convingly, thus you'll want to implement the changes they suggest. I think it's great to have researched backed data, but some was a bit much.
Doesn't apply
I think this is a good listen. I would have never made it through the book if I had to read it.i am becoming numb to the same thing all these books seem to advise, change your sales process and the clients will follow. I believe a systematic process is neccessary, I don't think one systematic process works for every customer. I wish they had more on being adaptable within the sales process.
"does not work"
I down loaded the softer twice and it says invalid password. Sign into to the account online with the same password to down load the software again and get the same invalid software password when attempting to play the title and will not download to my kindle program. it is a waist of money.
"I love this book!"
I plan to listen to this book many times. It has helped me in my current sales role to challenge what clients say and educate them on how things should be to help them solve their problems with our solutions.
"Great content - even better presentation"
Already a big fan of the concept, the audio book was a pleasure to listen to. Unlike many business books it felt more like sitting in a lecture or conversation with the authors rather than simply listing to someone read. Highly recommend the audiobook.