Sales performance: what profiles to recruit and how to identify them? (2/3)

The previous article discussed the recruitment paradox for Sales Management, torn between, on the one hand, a need for security leading to the hiring of similar profiles, and on the other hand, the search for exceptional salespeople. This article proposes to present, based on the work of Graham Hawkins, Matthew Dixon, and Brent Adamson, an “ideal” sales profile, that of the Challenger, capable of significantly accelerating performance in challenging market contexts.

Who to recruit?

In his seminal work “The Future of the Sales Profession” (2017), Graham Hawkins outlines why clients now seek sales expertise, and presents four types of situations where a salesperson is welcome and can resolve a situation perceived as problematic:

• High-value transaction
• Complex products
• Negotiation (potential discount)
• Products requiring post-purchase installation or service

A salesperson must therefore demonstrate the necessary skills to provide significant added value in each of these situations.

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The aim is to avoid the trap of merely being an information provider, a catalog presenter, or even worse – a cashier! The goal is to adopt the stance of a consultant, capable of enlightening their client on complex products in challenging environments. The salesperson must address the client’s confusion regarding offers that are hard to decipher.

Below, the orange box in the upper right (second table) effectively summarizes the positioning an exceptional salesperson must adopt – however, their professional environment must allow them to tackle situations where the complexity of the service/product and the environment are significant.

However, not all salespeople are automatically able to offer their clients the help they need. In 2009, the American organization CEB conducted an in-depth study to uncover the secret of salespeople who successfully closed deals in a market context marked by repeated crises, with clients exhibiting a strong aversion to risk and purchasing. Five typical salesperson profiles were thus identified:

• The Worker (“Hard-Worker”)
• The Challenger
• The Relationship Builder
• The Lone Wolf
• The Swiss Army Knife (“Problem Solver”)

Among all these profiles, the big winner is the Challenger; meaning: the salesperson who, possessing in-depth knowledge of their clients’ business and markets, is capable of debating, presenting their point of view, and highlighting contradictions (while maintaining a respectful attitude, of course) in order to push thinking further. These salespeople provide their clients with different analytical perspectives, to constantly challenge strategic decisions against real-world conditions. They push their client to step out of their comfort zone.

A Challenger achieves particularly outstanding results by:

• Offering the client unique perspectives
• Demonstrating strong communication skills
• Discerning the client’s value drivers
• Identifying the economic drivers of their client’s business
• Not shying away from talking about money
• Being able to challenge their client

All these skills allow the Challenger to make their prospects understand how their product and approach differ from those of the competition; to craft a message consistent with the personal and economic challenges of their contact; and finally, to take control of the sale.

In conclusion, it goes without saying that these abilities and the valued status of a Challenger are acquired. It is not an innate talent. Continuous in-depth work and improvement are necessary to increase one’s potential as a Salesperson day by day. In this regard, the work by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (The Sales Challenger Sale) can provide valuable assistance in understanding the key drivers to reach this level of expertise.

The next article will aim to define a recruitment process to identify who can potentially be a Challenger.

Other Articles You might be Interested In

• Sales performance: what profiles to recruit and how to evaluate them? (1/3)
• Sales performance: what profiles to recruit and how to choose them? (3/3)