Challenging Challenger

11th April 2015 |   Chris Alder

The debate swirling around the controversial “Challenger” approach to selling has raised important questions about the way ahead for the sales profession. Chris Alder investigates.

Challenging Challenger

It’s probably fair to say that few books on the art of selling have caused quite so much of a stir as the one published in 2011 entitled The Challenger Sale – Taking Control of the Customer Conversation. The so-called Challenger approach to selling was introduced and heavily marketed by the influential member-based advisory company the Corporate Executive Board (CEB). Many companies have since rushed to embrace its ideology, based on the premise that sales reps, who continually challenge customers by pushing the boundaries and coming up with new insights, get more business.