The Challenger sales methodology

Teach

Bring the buyer a new perspective on their business that they had not considered, which leads back to what you do well. Teaching is what earns the right to the rest of the conversation.

Listen for: Surprise, pushback and questions such as 'how do you know that?' Those mean the insight landed.

1. Most {{role}}s we talk to focus on {{obvious issue}}. What we see is that {{real driver}}. Does that match what you are seeing?
2. What would you say if I told you {{insight}}?
3. When we looked at {{pattern across clients}}, the surprise was {{finding}}. How do you measure that today?
4. Many teams assume {{common belief}}. Have you tested that in your business?
5. Where do you think most of the cost of {{problem}} sits?
6. If {{hidden cost}} were true for you, what would it change?
7. What would your numbers look like if {{assumption}} turned out to be wrong?
8. Have you seen {{trend}} affect your market yet?
9. How are you thinking about {{change in the market}}?
10. What would it take for you to rethink how you handle {{process}}?
11. Which part of that do you disagree with?
12. Who in your team would be most surprised by that?

A 3 looks like: The buyer engaged with a specific insight, questioned or accepted it, and agreed it applies to them.

Tailor

Adjust the message to each stakeholder's priorities, role and language. A finance lead, an operations manager and an IT director need different reasons to support the same change.

Listen for: Each stakeholder's goals, measures and worries, and who carries influence with whom.

1. What does your finance team look at first when a change like this is proposed?
2. How does {{stakeholder}} measure success in their role?
3. What would make {{stakeholder}} nervous about this?
4. Who would gain most if this worked?
5. Who would have to change how they work?
6. How does your leadership talk about {{priority}}?
7. What does {{stakeholder}} need to see before supporting a change?
8. How would you explain this to {{stakeholder}} in one sentence?
9. Which of your goals does this touch for each team?
10. What has worked when you have proposed changes before?
11. Who else will be affected that we have not talked about?
12. Would it help if I put together a short version for {{stakeholder}}?

A 3 looks like: Each key stakeholder's priority known and a tailored reason for change agreed with your contact.

Take control

Keep the sale moving: discuss money openly, push back when the buyer's plan will not work, and drive specific next steps. Control is about being assertive with the buyer's interests in mind, not aggressive.

Listen for: Stalls, vague next steps, and pressure on price before value is agreed.

1. Before we go further, can we talk about how this would be funded?
2. I am not sure that plan gets you to {{goal}}. Can I explain why?
3. What would need to happen for this to be approved this quarter?
4. Who needs to be in the next meeting for a decision to be possible?
5. If we agree the problem is worth solving, what is the next step on your side?
6. Can we put dates against those steps now?
7. What will you do if procurement asks for a lower price?
8. What is stopping us from agreeing that today?
9. You mentioned waiting until next year. What does waiting cost you?
10. Is there anything you are not comfortable with that we have not discussed?
11. If we cannot get {{stakeholder}} involved, should we pause?
12. Shall I send a short plan with the steps we agreed and owners against each?

A 3 looks like: Money discussed openly, a dated next step agreed with the right people, and pushback given where needed.

INSIGHT OUTLINE: {{buyer role}} at {{type of company}}

1. Warmer: show you understand their world
"Most {{role}}s we speak to are dealing with {{common challenge}}."

2. Reframe: the idea they have not considered
"What we see is that the real cost is not {{what they think}}, it is {{what is actually happening}}."

3. Evidence: why it is true
{{a published figure, a pattern across clients, or a worked example, with its source}}

4. Emotional impact: what it means for them
"So when {{situation}} happens, {{consequence for the buyer or their team}}."

5. A new way: the approach that fixes it, before your product
{{the different way of working}}

6. Your solution: how you deliver that new way
{{how your product or service does it}}

Question to hand control to the buyer: "{{question that tests whether this applies to them}}"

MEETING HANDOVER: {{prospect company}}
Meeting: {{date and time}}, {{length}} minutes, {{video or phone}}
Booked by: {{SDR name}}   Account executive: {{AE name}}

Who is attending
{{name}}, {{title}}. Reports to {{manager, if known}}.
Others invited or mentioned: {{names and titles}}

Why they agreed to meet (their words)
"{{the reason they gave, as close to verbatim as possible}}"

What they told us
Current situation: {{tools, team, process}}
Problem or goal: {{what is not working or what they want to achieve}}
Impact they mentioned: {{cost, time, risk, revenue}}
Timing: {{deadline, contract end, project start, budget cycle}}
Decision: {{who else is involved, how they buy}}
Budget: {{anything said, or "not discussed"}}

Qualification score: {{framework}} {{score}} of {{max}}. Gaps: {{elements scored below 2}}

What the prospect expects from the meeting
{{what the SDR promised: a conversation, a comparison, a specific question answered}}

Watch outs
{{objections raised, competitor mentioned, sensitivity, anything not to say}}