Advantages & Disadvantages of Challenger Sales Model

In their bestseller ‘The Challenger Sale’, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson have categorized sales reps into five types. After a thorough analysis of all five, they have concluded that the Challenger type is the best among all types for B2B, large-scale sales.

The five sales rep types they defined are:

• The Hard Worker
• The Relationship Builder
• The Lone Wolf
• The Problem Solver
• The Challenger

The Challenger Sales Model is an approach towards sales in which the sales rep thoroughly understands the prospect’s business, makes them aware of challenges and problems they are unaware of, and then takes charge of the conversation to pitch a product in a way that solves their challenges.

A sales rep who uses this model literally challenges the prospect to change their view by helping them identify potential problems.

What is ‘Challenger Sales’?

What is ‘Challenger sales’? And who is a Challenger sales rep? To answer these questions, let’s go through the three distinct skills an assertive Challenger sales rep has:

1. Teaches differentiation

A Challenger sales rep is well versed in the prospect’s business and its unique perspective. He or she teaches differentiation to the prospect using a two-way dialogue and helps them see the mirror. A challenger sales rep does not talk about the product; rather, he or she talks about the challenge or set of challenges the prospect may not have foreseen. This way, the sales rep is able to challenge the prospect and change their opinion regarding a specific business area.

2. Tailors the message smartly

The second important skill a Challenger sales rep possesses is tailoring the message according to the prospect. These sales reps have a strong sense of the prospect’s economic and value drivers, based on which they could personalize their message and talk in the language the prospect understands.

3. Takes control of the sale

By refraining from talking about the product and instead talking about business challenges, these sales reps establish trust and are able to take control of the conversation. When they do pitch the product, it is not actually the product they are talking about, but the solution for the prospect’s challenges. This way, the sales reps are more comfortable in discussing the financials and could gently push the prospect to close the deal.

Challenger Sales Model - Example

Take our own case study of Supra Ventures Pvt Ltd as an example. Supra Ventures is a reputed real estate firm that relied on manual bookings to capture leads and prospect information. Although they were looking for a CRM, the firm had not identified the potential pitfalls of manual and non-integrated sales processes.

When a Challenger sales rep from our team explained to them the competitive advantages of automation-driven and digital sales processes, the firm agreed to end its manual practices.

Within twenty days of the deployment of our Sales CRM, the firm was already experiencing the benefits of automated lead assignment through targeted campaigns.

You could access the complete case study by clicking here.

What are the Advantages of the Challenger Sales Model?

• Sales reps could build lasting trust and relationships with prospects.
• The ensuing relationship transcends beyond the traditional customer-sales association, resulting in loyalty.
• Prospects get unique insights into potential business challenges.
• Budget and financials are easier to discuss with the prospect and more clarity could be attained regarding closure.

What are the Disadvantages of the Challenger Sales Model?

• The methodology could be difficult to master, especially for beginner sales reps.
• It may not yield good results in transactional sales when compared to other methods.
• A seasoned rep who is rooted in other styles may find this approach difficult to adapt to.

With B2B customers relying more on their own research, the Challenger sales model has emerged as a high-performing approach when compared to other sales styles. However, it is crucial that star sales reps are equipped with a robust CRM software through which they could automate redundant tasks and concentrate more on strategy.

CentraHub CRM has been engineered by experts in sales, marketing, and service domains and optimized to fulfill your requirements through easy, no-code customization.

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