The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation

The Challenger Sale was written with B2B organizations in mind. Does this suggest that the Challenger Selling Model doesn’t suit the business-to-consumer environment? Discuss why or why not.

The tech industry is full of disruptive solutions. Discuss up to three historical examples of tech companies using the Challenger Selling Model to market their products and services.

Which sales representative profile best aligns with your usual communication style? Do you behave differently when trying to persuade someone to adopt a new perspective? Discuss how.

Dixon and Adamson refer to various case studies to validate their claims about the Challenger Selling Model. Research B2B organizations in your community and evaluate their current sales approach according to the Challenger Selling Model. Would their sales performance improve if they adopted the model? Or has adopting the model failed to affect their performance in a significant way?

Consider Dixon and Adamson’s use of sales genre staples like graphics and acronyms. What purpose do these serve? How (if at all) does the book’s use of them reflect its critique of traditional business practices (e.g., overemphasis on research, ineffective training, etc.)?

Consider the names the book uses to describe the five different sales representative profiles. What connotations do these terms have? Why do you think the SEC/Dixon and Adamson chose them?

Choose a favorite snack or beverage and list as many beneficial features of the product as you can. Which of these features would you use to justify reselling that snack for 1.5 times its standard retail price? With Commercial Teaching in mind, discuss whether or not the selected feature is underappreciated by others, and how you might reframe their perspective around the product.

How might the Challenger Selling Model function in nonprofit organizations, where the goal is social value rather than revenue? Can the model’s emphasis on value and insight align with these organizations? Why or why not?