Not every salesperson is a natural-born challenger. Managers should evaluate their teams before implementing the process. For example, hard workers, relationship builders, and lone wolves might need help to adopt the approach. During the rational drowning phase, reps clarify that their prospect’s existing solutions won’t work. Then, they reframe the conversation toward new, better solutions.
1. Reframe the Problem
Today’s buyers are more informed than ever, but many traditional sales methods must catch up with this shift. A new methodology called The Challenger Sale has emerged to help salespeople proactively guide prospects through the buying journey and shape their decision-making process.
This methodology focuses on three critical characteristics: teaching, tailoring, and taking control. In the first phase of the Challenger Sale, sales reps uncover the prospect’s primary pain point by asking questions that pique their interest.
They then reframe the problem as an opportunity for growth by providing unique insights that upend the prospect’s misconceptions. By doing so, the prospect understands that their existing ideas about solving the problem were wrong and opens themselves up to exploring more innovative solutions.
The prospect should be fully engaged and ready to hear more about your product or service by this stage. At this point, the Challenger salesperson still needs to mention their solution. Instead, they focus on positioning themselves as a trusted adviser and getting the prospect to envision their future success by adopting a new path.
Developing a sales persona that exemplifies the Challenger Sales model is a great way to train your team on this approach. People remember characters and stories, not models, so consider using a persona to explain the concept to your salespeople.
2. Take Control
Once a prospect has shared their most significant pain point, the Challenger rep focuses on reframing it as an opportunity for growth. It is done by identifying the root of the problem and asking questions that show gaps in understanding.
During this phase, the rep avoids mentioning their product and instead offers success stories and case studies that humanize the impact of the problem for prospects. This sales methodology demonstrates expertise and builds trust as the prospects realize their beliefs might be wrong.
The Challenger rep identifies all stakeholders impacting a purchase decision as part of this reframe. It is essential in B2B sales, where multiple people may be involved in buying. It ensures that the sales team addresses the needs of everyone who will green-light or stall a deal.
To help their team members succeed in this challenger sale, sales managers can train their teams on the six-step choreography of Challenger Sales and reinforce the importance of educating prospects to build trust.
They can also help teams develop their skills in communicating with customers so they can effectively take control of the customer conversation. It includes helping them become comfortable discussing prices and explaining how they can help customers understand complex numbers and facts.
3. Tailor for Resonance
The key to selling solutions is tailoring your approach to meet your client’s business needs. That means teaching your client valuable commercial insights and leveraging those insights to deliver tailored sales messaging that resonates with your prospects.
Challenger reps need to develop thought leadership in their industry and use that knowledge to create customer value. They also need to leverage a combination of the teach and the solution discovery (ABS) sales methodologies to establish themselves as a trusted advisor for their client.
Challenger representative’s job is to use their distinct understanding and analysis to craft a compelling narrative about the client’s issue that shows how they can assist in overcoming obstacles. And they need to deliver this message in a way that connects with the prospect’s emotional and rational motivation.
It is achieved by building credibility by thoroughly assessing the client’s key challenges and broader industry context. It helps them create empathy, earn the prospect’s trust, and set up a teaching pitch. Once they’ve built their credibility, a Challenger rep must take control of the sale by emphasizing value and addressing the prospect’s concerns clearly and confidently. The prospect will more likely engage with their solution and move through their decision-making process faster.
4. Take the Lead
With the proper training and resources, sales reps can develop the skills required to implement the Challenger sales model. With insight-led sales conversations, they can help customers build meaningful relationships and discover new opportunities. But, this requires an approach that can match the increasing complexity of modern B2B buying cycles. The Challenger sales method has proven particularly effective for companies that sell complex solutions.
Buyers often have a firm idea of what they need and can afford when they talk to a salesperson. Moreover, many have already researched their options and evaluated different products.
Your sales team must be able to take control of the conversation and show that they are experts in their field. One way to do this is by identifying a unique opportunity and providing the customer with insight to improve their business and reduce risk. It will allow you to establish yourself as a trusted adviser and position yourself for negotiations.
Final Words
But not all salespeople are created equal. Some need help adopting the Challenger model and may need further training to become a success at it. For example, a hard worker or relationship builder might need support to be assertive enough to engage with challenging prospects. At the same time, a lone wolf could not create a compelling case for change.