This Steve Jobs’ quote is a very important principle that I adopt in my life holistically. In fact, it forms the foundation of why I choose to embark on a 2 months journey to adopt the principles of gamification and apply to our b2b tech marketing industry for the better.
However, what I want to share today, as a salesperson, is how you can infuse Steve Jobs’s brilliant concept about competition and adopt a unique way of closing deals with your clients.
The Challenger Sales methodology is a sales approach that aims to differentiate a salesperson and their company from competitors by teaching potential customers something new about their business and the market. It is based on the premise that customers are looking for more than just a solution to a problem; they want a salesperson who can challenge their assumptions and provide insights that can help them achieve their goals more effectively.
The Challenger Sales methodology was developed by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon of CEB (now Gartner) in their book “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation.” The book identifies five types of salespeople and finds that Challengers — those who teach, tailor, and take control of the sale — outperformed all other types.
The methodology focuses on three key elements: teaching, tailoring, and taking control. The Challenger salesperson teaches their customers something new about their business, tailors their sales approach to their specific needs, and takes control of the sale by challenging the customer’s assumptions and pushing them out of their comfort zone.
So to apply to your practice, Let’s say you’re a salesperson for a software company that provides project management tools to businesses. You have a meeting with a potential customer who currently uses a competitor’s product.
Instead of immediately pitching your product’s features, you take a Challenger Sales approach. You start by asking the customer about their current project management process and what challenges they’re facing with it. Based on their answers, you identify a problem they may not have considered before — for example, their current process is inefficient and costing them time and money.
Next, you present research that you’ve done on the industry and the specific challenges that companies like theirs are facing. You explain how your product can help them address these challenges and save time and money in the long run.
Finally, you take control of the conversation by asking the customer if they’re willing to try a new approach to project management. You challenge their assumptions about their current process and encourage them to consider your product as a solution.
By taking a Challenger Sales approach, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors by providing insights that the customer may not have considered before. You can tailor your pitch to the customer’s specific needs and take control of the conversation by challenging their assumptions. This can help you build a deeper relationship with the customer and ultimately close more deals.
Conclusion
The Challenger Sales methodology is designed to help salespeople build deeper relationships with their customers and create more value for them. By providing insights and challenging their assumptions, salespeople can help customers make better-informed decisions and ultimately drive more revenue for their companies.
However, my devoted readers please be mindful that there is another mindshare of sale philosophy and teaching that is branded as “insight selling” and not to be confused with the challenger sales methodology. Both methodologies aim to humanize the sales process, which I will cover in the next article.
Disclaimer note:
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ThinkLogic Media Group or any company and their associates.
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