The challenger sale
by Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson · first published 2011
71% recommend25% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Data-backed look at the most effective sales techniques, built on knowing your domain and challenging customers to rethink. Recommended for B2B sellers, founders new to sales, and non-sales people handling customers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
What's the secret to sales success? If you're like most business leaders, you'd say it's fundamentally about relationships and you'd be wrong. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. They challenge them.
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…Profit from It by Jeffrey J. Fox * The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (And Why They Don't) by Sean D'Souza * The Ultimate Sales Letter: Attract New Customers. Boost your Sales by Dan S. Kennedy * The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Mathew Dixon and Brent Adamson Also watch a few Gary Vaynerchuck Keynotes and you'll get ideas on how to add value first, specifically read this blog post…
on “Ask HN: How to ask companies about problems they are facing?” ↗I've been in sales 15 years now. Check out these resources and they will give you a GREAT foundation: Read the challenger sale: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conv... and read SPIN selling: https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/00705111... Listen to the advanced selling podcast: https://advancedsellingpodcast.com/…
on “Ask HN: What do you want to learn in 2017?” ↗…widely by industry & business models. A few to consider - - Miller Heiman is the Corporate America Gold Standard, now incorporating SPIN Selling > https://www.millerheimangroup.com/huthwaite/ - The Challenger Sale by CEB Group is strong, geared toward large enterprise, complex scenarios > https://www.hirevue.com/offer/sales-training-companies-corpo... Challenger Sale - is based on the brilliant insights of Matt…
on “Ask HN: Who are the best Sales Training companies?” ↗https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19878274 My recommendations are the same as they were then: ~~~~ Mastering The Complex Sale -- Jeff Thull Exceptional Selling -- Jeff Thull The Prime Solution -- Jeff Thull The Challenger Sale -- Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson Selling The Wheel: Choosing The Best Way To Sell For You Your Company Your Customers -- Jeff Cox, Howard Stevens And while it's not exactly about "sales" alone, I'd recommend…
on “Ask HN: What are some good books/resources about sales?” ↗Another one that is excellent is called "the challenger sale". Here it is on amazon, I bought the audible version. http://www.amazon.com/The-Challenger-Sale-Customer-Conversat... A further one to look at is the maverick selling method. Corny name but good content:…
on “Hey Startups, I’m calling bullshit. You don’t understand sales” ↗…space. Linkedin is a good place to find them. Now gather intel and network. You must talk to these guys, the more, the better. Incidentally, start reading up on the sales process. Recommend reading The Challenger Sale by Adamson and New Sales Simplified by Weinberg.
on “Ask HN: How to become a technical sales engineer?” ↗…If you read nothing else, Chapter 14: Planning & Executing the Attack is pure protein! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15863998-new-sales-simpli... Here's a video presentation by Matt Dixon on The Challenger Sale. It's a bit long, just over an hour. But give it 15 minutes-- you'll see it's solid material. Good insights on how marketing supports & equips sales. Read the book! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfE8zZUoMc
on “Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?” ↗I'm a fan of The Challenger Sale, The New Solution Selling and all three books by Jeff Thull: Mastering The Complex Sale, Exceptional Selling and The Prime Solution. I really like Thull's approach, especially his "always be leaving"…
on “Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?” ↗I can't say that I've actually applied a lot of what's in The Challenger Sale yet, but I really liked the book, and it just feels right on some intuitive level. I'm intrigued enough that it's something I'm making a pointed effort to integrate into my approach.
on “Ask HN: Best books or videos to get better at sales?” ↗…series of books by Jeff Thull that includes Mastering The Complex Sale, Exceptional Selling and The Prime Solution. There's also some really good stuff in The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes and The Challenger Sale by by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson.
on “Ask HN: What to do with a list of potential customers?” ↗…good at selling, I expect I'll credit this book for a lot of that. I really like Thull's approach with is "always be leaving" mantra and focus on diagnosis as opposed to "get the sale at any cost". The Challenger Sale by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon. Like Thull, these guys deviate from a lot of the standard sales wisdom of the past few decades and promote a different approach. And like Thull, a core element is…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗My recommendations: Mastering The Complex Sale -- Jeff Thull Exceptional Selling -- Jeff Thull The Prime Solution -- Jeff Thull The Challenger Sale -- Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson Selling The Wheel: Choosing The Best Way To Sell For You Your Company Your Customers -- Jeff Cox, Howard Stevens And while it's not exactly about "sales" alone, I'd recommend…
on “Best Sales Books/Resources?” ↗- SPIN selling - The Challenger Sale - The Little Red Book of Sales - The Charisma Myth - Rules of the Game (Neil Strauss... and yes it is also a sales book) - Secrets of Closing the Sale (transactional sales, but still fun)
on “Best Sales Books/Resources?” ↗The Challenger Sale To Sell is human The little red book of selling They ask, you answer Nudge
on “Ask HN: Sales books for people who don’t like sales tactics and gimmicks” ↗…built a SaaS startup over the last few years: Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PPW5V9C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_... The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLDD5YV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_... Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0189PVAWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_...…
on “Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?” ↗