The Challenger Customer

Sales Summit 2015

1 Day.

13 sessions. 14 Sales Thought Leaders.

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The Challenger Customer #SalesSummit #DF15

 Brent Adamson  Principal Executive Advisor, Sales & Marketing  CEB  @CEB_Challenger, #ChallengerCustomer  

https://www.salesforce.com/sales-summit/

© 2015 CEB. All rights reserved

#SalesSummit #DF15 #ChallengerCustomer

That Was Then...



• Always goes the extra mile

• Doesn’t give up easily

• Self-motivated

•  Interested in feedback and development

• Always has a different view of the world

• Understands the customer’s business

• Loves to debate

• Pushes the customer

• Reliably responds

• Ensures that all problems are solved

• Detail oriented

• Follows own instincts

• Self-assured

•  Independent

• Builds strong customer advocates

• Generous in giving time to help others

• Gets along with everyone

Hard Worker Challenger Relationship Builder

Lone Wolf Problem Solver



Traversing the Solutions Graveyard

Customer Status Quo

Agreement on a Vision

Purchase Decision

Single Stakeholder Agreement

Organizational Consensus



Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases

n = 3,000.

0%

50%

100%

81%

55% 53%

31%

1 2 3 4 5 6+ Size of Buying Team

60% Purchase

Likelihood

60%



Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases

n = 3,000.

0%

50%

100%

81%

55% 53%

31%

1 2 3 4 5 6+ Size of Buying Team

60% Purchase

Likelihood

60%

5.4 Average Buying

Group Size



Track Them all down, and Win Them all over

Stakeholder 1: CIO

Rep Angle: Minimal work-flow disruption

Positioning: Seamless integration with legacy systems

Stakeholder “Closed”

Stakeholder 2: Financial Analyst

Rep Angle: Cost savings

Positioning: Write-off of existing platform


Stakeholder 3: Marketer

Rep Angle: Deeper customer segmentation

Positioning: Develop effective segmentation targeting strategies


1. Accessing Individuals 2.

Clo

sing

Indi

vidu

als



Surprising Results

0%

8%

(8%)

4%

(4%)

Cha

nge

in L

ikel

ihoo

d of

Mak

ing

a H

igh-

Qua

lity

Sale

Access to Stakeholders

Evaluating Purchase

Positioning Offering on Value to an Individual

Stakeholder



The Real Enemy

1.5

Stakeholder Diversity Index

Stak

ehol

der

Dys

func

tion

Inde

x

2.0

2.5

2.5 4.0 5.5

Stakeholders don’t have a fair say

Stakeholders avoid discussing key issues

Stakeholders have multiple disagreements

Kinds of dysfunction:



The Lowest Common Denominator

Stakeholder 1 Mental Model

Goal Priorities Metrics Means







Seven Types of Customer Stakeholders

The Teacher The Blocker The Climber The Guide

The Go-Getter The Friend The Skeptic



Mobilizers Get the Deal Done



What Now?

1. Identify Mobilizers versus “Champions”

2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership

3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change

4. Track Mobilizer Progress through a Customer-Verified Pipeline



How to Find Mobilizers



What Now?







Break down the “A,” then Build up the “B”

Current Beliefs/Behavior

Desired Beliefs/Behavior

A B



What Now?







•  ceburl.com/Salesforce15

•  ChallengerCustomer.com

•  #ChallengerCustomer

•  #SalesSummit #DF15

•  @CEB_Challenger

Learn More and Join the Conversation

Salesforce Sales Leadership Community www.salesforce.com/salesleadership

#SalesSummit #DF15

Thank you

The Challenger Customer

Technology

Transcript of The Challenger Customer