Winning the Challenger Sale

Sales has long been in fierce competition with other sellers and the status quo, losing customers to other companies and inaction. But today, we’re also up against every department head across our prospect’s businesses. With everyone lobbying for a slice of the budget, if the problem you solve isn’t a top priority in your prospect’s business today, you won’t close a sale.In Ep. 74 of Winning the Challenger Sale podcast, we talk with Collin Mitchell, VP of Sales at Leadium about what it takes to dig deep enough to shape a discovery so well you can take full charge of your sales process.We discuss:The importance of flexing the curiosity muscle throughout discoveryHow to unstick the most stuck deals (and avoid them altogether by prioritizing discovery)Understanding and adapting to customer personalities and dismissing all excuses around not understanding your buyer

When it comes to winning with today’s B2B buyers, our guest on the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast this week has some serious mic-dropping comments:“If it’s not solving a problem, it’s a non-starter.”“If it's a great product, but there's not a great story to tell behind it, there's no point in really even selling it.”“Buyers can tell when you're not as into the product as maybe your competitor is.”Yep, you read that right. You can’t sell something you don’t believe in… at least not very well. And without a strong voice and a great story about the problem your product is solving, you might as well quit before you start.In this episode, Challenger’s very own VP of Product, Gina Slesar, brings a unique perspective to the discussion about who today’s B2B buyer is. As an experienced product leader, Gina explains what B2B buyers are looking for in the products they purchase, which in today’s volatile, uncertain economy, we know that connecting with buyers takes a lot more than a quality product and a decent offer.Listen to the full episode to hear Andee and Gina discuss:The three foundational components required to be successful selling a productManaging perceived risk and uncertainty in your deals to avoid no-decision lossesThe importance of gaining visibility into the sales experience from the buyer’s perspective at every stage of the dealIn case you missed it: Andee and Gina also presented a webinar on the latest Challenger research into B2B buyer behavior and trends, which you can watch on-demand here.

Your phone charger is frayed and bent.Wires exposed, you twist it slightly to the right and balance your phone just so to get it to charge.A new cord has been on your list for weeks, but let’s be honest, the situation isn’t quite urgent enough for you to hit “buy now.” It’s still charging, isn’t it?Until it isn’t.This strange habit of putting something off until it’s truly broken isn’t a personality flaw—it’s just human nature.And according to Hannah Ajikawo, CEO and Founder of Revenue Funnel, it exists in modern sales, too. Getting today’s B2B buyers to convert before things crash and burn is incredibly tough, but that’s what sellers should reach for. To do that, your reps need to understand exactly where your prospect is in their buying journey.Once you know that, Hannah says, you must proactively shape your discovery strategy, meet your buyer where they’re at, and guide them to the next step. This tailored discovery is a surefire way to differentiate from the first conversation and establish your value as a credible partner in a competitive buying situation.Listen to the full episode to learn more about:How to avoid being overhasty when it comes to building consensus in a buying groupShaping discovery strategies according to specific buyer readinessAll the best tips for discovery: two mistakes that all sellers make, the one question you MUST ask in discovery, the question you need to STOP asking, and how to do better introductions in a first sales call

We think we know our customers… but what if they’re in an entirely different universe than we imagine?Each layer of customer understanding unveils a new truth that should ultimately shape how sales and marketing connect with buyers. But too often, there is a complete disconnect between what a customer knows about your product and what your sellers are communicating to the market. So how can we close this gap when we can’t even gauge how many light-years away our ICP is?According to our latest guest, Jordan Crawford, Founder of Blueprint, if you take the time to hear customer stories, they’ll tell you something you’ve never even thought of. You can shortcut years of learning by asking customers what they already know. That is what it takes to bridge the divide and connect with today’s B2B buyers.Join us as we discuss:Using customer stories and experiences to launch conversations with precisionOutbound isn’t dead—but your outbound strategy might bePredictions for AI applications in sales and marketing (and how people are using AI wrong today)

Would you show up to a street race with a bicycle? That’s probably what it feels like as a seller up against today’s digitally-enabled buyers.B2B buyers have almost everything they need to make informed buying decisions on their own. They’re in the driver’s seat… and sellers are stuck pedaling behind, trying to catch up.Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. Hendrik Isebaert, CEO at Showpad and our guest on the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast this week, is a former seller himself and a wealth of knowledge on taking control of the buyer’s journey, particularly in a virtual selling environment.His tips on preparation for virtual sales calls, selling on business impact, and building rapport in the digital space are everything you need to ditch the bike and hop in with the buyer to navigate together towards the purchasing finish line.Listen to the full episode to learn more about:Engaging with today’s increasingly digital B2B buyer by embracing an omnichannel sales experience to avoid information overloadInstilling confidence in the post-sale customer experience to win deals in a downturnBuilding rapport in a digital selling environment and using collaboration and interactivity for stronger virtual meetings

Imagine your buyers all live in a gated community. A cold call is like showing up to the gatehouse without an invitation and expecting the security guard to let you in.But the buyer moved into that neighborhood for a reason, and it definitely wasn’t so that SDRs could show up unannounced.Instead, you need to get to know your buyers to turn that cold call into a warm call. Bump into them at the gym. Find out their favorite coffee shop. Heck, move in next door! (Okay, maybe this metaphor is getting a little too creepy.)Putting aside the stalker vibes, there’s still a lesson here. And today’s guest on the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast, Tom Slocum, Founder of The SD Lab, has plenty of lessons to share about connecting with B2B buyers.Today’s B2B buyers want relationships, community, and personalized solutions. Anyone can learn the skills needed to be an SDR, but to be a great one, you must become your ICP. That means doing your research, joining their communities, and adding value in every interaction.Building a community-like connection is more important than ever. And Tom shares exactly what your team can do to stop the “spray and pray” and instead… get an invite to the neighborhood BBQ!Listen as Tom and Andee discuss:What the modern (and more informed) B2B buyer actually wants from sales outreachHow SDRs can connect with today’s B2B buyerWhy your sales development team should transition from cold calling to a warm calling approach (and how to use Tom’s 3x3 method to do so)

The bar has been raised for sellers and feels like it keeps rising. The amount of information modern buyers have is at an all-time high, buyers’ expectations from sellers have grown and changed, meaning sellers must now add more value than ever to help buyers along their purchasing journey.According to our latest guest, Ryan Barretto, President of Sprout Social, social media has quickly become one of the best platforms available to add that extra value.If your commercial organization isn’t prioritizing social selling, you’re missing a massive opportunity. (And don’t try to tell us that you don’t believe in the ROI—Ryan has some great counterpoints to that.)As a seller, if you can become adept at social selling, you can fast-forward building a connection with buyers and understanding what they care about so that you can provide a tailored and differentiated sales experience.It’s a win-win.Join Ryan and our host and Challenger CEO, Andee Harris, on this episode of the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast, where they discuss:How the role of a salesperson must change and adapt to the modern buyer, particularly in how they want to use and experience social mediaSocial selling as a massive opportunity for commercial teams across all funnel stagesDemystifying the ROI of social selling, including the strength of its halo effect on your brand and sales cycleYou can also watch Ryan and Andee present on unlocking the lead gen potential of social media in a recent webinar from our Leading The Challenger Sale webinar series. Watch the recording here.

Word-of-mouth has long fueled the success of countless companies, big and small. But over the past several years, through the rise of the digital age, word-of-mouth has evolved into something with unlimited potential — something known as dark social. Now, a recommendation (or negative feedback) can reach millions with a single click of a ‘share’ button.On this episode of Winning the Challenger Sale, we speak with Chris Walker, CEO of Refine Labs, who, as a pioneer of dark social, explains just how far a single share can go. Modern buyers want to make their own decisions and look for recommendations from trusted sources — we dive into just how you can leverage that to maximize your reach and growth.Join us as we discuss:How dark social’s scale far outweighs word-of-mouthThe undeniable value of product-led growthSegmenting and executing your sales process based on buyer intent

Social selling is the key to engaging with your buyers before they’re interested in talking to sales, before they’re even in the market for your solution. But what’s the key to successful social selling? Authenticity.Forget the “algorithm hacks.” Forget engagement for engagement’s sake. Showing up as your authentic self on social is what truly matters because that’s what will help you cut through the noise and form meaningful connections with your audience, and ultimately, your buyers.When you approach social media with authenticity and add value to each conversation, you can generate an affinity that will bring people back to your thought leadership again and again.This week on the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast, our guest is someone who excels at building connections and creating repeating engagement on social media. We’re joined by Sam McKenna, the Founder of #samsales Consulting, who discusses how today’s social media platforms are the next great avenues of prospecting in sales and marketing.Join as we discuss:The importance of authenticity when building your brand and presence on social mediaUsing content to teach people something and avoiding engagement for engagement’s sakeHow to be part of the conversation—either in the comments or in dark social channelsSocial selling as the key to engaging your buyers before they engage with salesBe sure to check out Sam’s previous appearance on Winning The Challenger Sale!

Buying and selling have always been social activities.Except nowadays, most of that socializing happens digitally and in virtual networking spaces.What we’ve learned through the rise of social media platforms is that there’s a right way to approach your presence on social that will help you form real connections and have meaningful conversations with buyers. And our guest on the Winning The Challenger Sale podcast this week gives us the foundational elements of that “right way” to enable you to be successful at social selling.In this episode, Suzanne Muchin, Co-Founder of Bonfire Women, drops some knowledge about selling yourself and your ideas on social media in ways that are authentic and relatable and help you cut through the noise to reach your desired audience.Join as we discuss:How to spice up your “About” section of your social media profilesOwning your unique voice and getting over the discomfort of promoting yourself on socialUsing social media to test new ideas and messages, then learning from the responseNew ways of thinking around the content you post on LinkedIn