
In The Challenger Sale Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson share the secret to sales success: dont just build relationships with customers. Challenge them Whats the secret to sales success? If youre like most business leaders youd say its fundamentally about relationships
- & youd be wrong. The best salespeople dont just build relationships with customers. They challenge them. Matthew Dixon Brent Adamson & their colleagues at CEB have studied the performance of thousands of sales reps worldwide. & what they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in decades. The Challenger Sale argues that classic relationship-building is the wrong approach. Every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct profiles & while all of these types of reps can deliver average performance only one
- the Challenger
- delivers consistently high performance. Instead of bludgeoning customers with facts & features Challengers approach customers with insights about how they can save or make money. They tailor their message to the customers specific needs. They are assertive pushing back when necessary & taking control of the sale. Any sales rep once equipped with the right tools can drive higher levels of customer loyalty & ultimately greater growth. Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson are managing directors with CEBs Sales Executive Council in Washington D.C.