Sales Champions read online. Brent Adamson - Sales Champions. What and how the best sellers in the world do differently. This book is well complemented

28.10.2019

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ISBN: 978-5-91657-851-5
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Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson challenge traditional sales thinking. After conducting an in-depth study of several thousand salespeople in various industries, they debunked the conventional wisdom that in complex sales those salespeople who build relationships with the client are the most effective and that they form a high-performing team. It turns out that everything is exactly the opposite: it is these sellers who are the least effective. Most best sellers don't just build relationships with customers, they challenge them.

The qualities that make Champions unique can also be nurtured in the mid-range salesperson. Read about how to do this in this book. It will help you identify the Champions in your company, model their approach, implement it across your sales team, and dramatically increase your overall business performance.

Published in Russian for the first time.

The presented fragment of the book is placed in agreement with the distributor of legal content LLC "LitRes" (no more than 20% of the original text). If you believe that the posting of material violates your or someone else's rights, then .

In 2009, the economy was sinking, and the consulting company Corporate Executive Board decided to find out: how to stay afloat? Managers of 90 companies were interviewed and the work of 6,000 salespeople was evaluated. As a result, the book "Champions of Sales" was born - a textbook for salesmen of a new generation. We have read it and selected the most important for you.

Everything is not what it seems - why do you need a champion sales model?

In the book Sales Champions Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson all sellers are divided into 5 types:

Hard workers. They work like hell, put in twice as much effort as their colleagues.
Relationship builders. They try to get along with everyone, always come to the rescue, in a word, put the relationship with the client in the first place.
lone wolves. They never follow protocol, they never report, they never work as a team. They act instinctively. They would have been fired long ago if they weren't so good at what they do.
Problem solvers. They are more customer-focused than sales-focused, but not to the same degree as relationship builders. We try not to leave any problem unresolved.
Champions (or Challengers). Sales people with a deep understanding of the client, who love to argue, have their own views and push the client to a decision. They challenge and reach the goal.

It would seem that from the point of view of the leader the best manager is a Relationship Builder. But while gathering material for the book, Dixon and Adamson did some research and found: Builders outperform Champions in terms of deals!

The authors of the book went further and asked the leaders of the “experimental” companies to identify among their sellers the so-called “stars” - sellers with higher transaction rates. The rest of the salespeople fell into the category of "average". At the same time, both “stars” and “middle peasants” are found among salesmen of each type. Interestingly, the number of "middle peasants" was distributed approximately equally among different types of sales representatives. But Champions took the leading position in terms of the number of "stars".

Dixon and Adams' surprising discovery upends sales habits. It turns out that there is no need to impose a product and rub in the trust of the client. You need to choose the path of the Champions - this is the challenge sales technique. Fortunately, a team of sales champions can be built from the managers you already have. Now we will tell you how to do it.

Teach to teach

How is a Sales Champion fundamentally different from other types of sellers? The fact that in communicating with the client he takes the position of not an expert, not a friend, but a teacher. Other sales techniques are taught to learn more about the client's business, to show empathy - Champions are taught to help clients, train them.

The owner of a candy store will be impressed if your salesperson knows the assortment of his store by heart. Perhaps the client will treat your manager better. But only the sale of such an approach will not help.

But if your specialist explains to the confectioner why his cakes fall apart during transportation to the point of sale and explains how your product can help him avoid this, the client is in your pocket!

This approach will also help in the long run. According to a survey of 5,000 customers conducted by the authors of the book, 53% of customer loyalty depends on how the sales process went. While 38% of loyalty depends on the brand and product, and only 9% on the price-quality ratio.

Tip: share all the information about the industry or a particular client with your salespeople. This will help you quickly understand how to help him.

Learn to speak

The champion does not just communicate with the client. He builds a dialogue in such a way as to smoothly lead the interlocutor to the desired solution. Teach your salespeople six simple steps.

Let's say your company manufactures office furniture. The client has recently moved to a new office building, and the manager in a conversation with him must go through 6 steps:

Instill confidence. Show your expertise by making a rational comment. For example, point out that the new meeting rooms are not very conducive to teamwork.
Show a different point of view. For example, note that effective teamwork takes place in small groups of 3-4 people. The new premises are designed for eight!
Indicate the severity of the problem. Give research results that prove that large conference rooms do not contribute to the growth of the number of innovative solutions.
Explain how the problem affects the client's business. Teamwork is bad - the innovative component is falling - competitiveness is decreasing.
Suggest an idea that can improve the client's situation. In this case, divide large rooms into two smaller ones.
Offer a turnkey solution. It is very important not to express it ahead of time. In our example - to offer movable walls to organize space.

Learn to influence the top

“The bottom wants - the top does” - this principle is guided by a manager who has read the book “Champions of Sales”. What does it mean?

Tip: don't aim to convince the director himself. Convince his team that your product is profitable, and he will have no choice but to accept the offer.

But in order to motivate ordinary employees to influence the decision of the management, you need to answer yourself the following questions:

What exactly do the people you interact with care about?
What are their economic goals?
What do they want to achieve?

Then you need to build the offer so that it fits the needs of the person you are interacting with.

Let's get back to moving walls. For example, you explain their benefits to a personnel officer. Yes, the purchase decision will be made by the director. Yes, it is more important for the director to learn about the financial side of the issue. But you are not talking to him. Therefore, you are focusing on something else: the division of space will reduce stress and make employees happier. And now, the personnel officer is already interested.

Tip: prepare a cheat sheet for beginner Champions, which will spell out the interests / goals / tasks of workers in different positions in different industries with which you cooperate.

Learn to control the situation

The champion always takes the helm and tries to control sales. But there is a problem: some salespeople are afraid to talk about money or push the client to the final decision.

That's what's interesting. According to a study conducted by BayGroup International, 75% of decision makers believe during negotiations that the other party - the seller - has control over the situation. At the same time, 75% of salespeople believe that the “power” is in the hands of the decision maker!

For me personally, the book "Champions of Sales" was given very hard. A lot of terms, a complex language of presentation with a bunch of tautologies, compound and complex sentences. But still, it was worth reading. You will see this by reading my quotes below.

a) The defining qualities of a Champion are the ability to teach, adapt and control.

With a unique insight into the client's business and the ability to communicate effectively, Champions in the sales process are able to educate for change.

Because Champions have excellent feel for key economic indicators the client's business and cost factors, they are able to adapt the proposal broadcasting the desired message the right person in the client's company.

Champions are comfortable discussing money matters and are able to put some pressure on the client if necessary. Thus the Champions control sale.

b) Neil Rackham's SAFE-BOLD scheme:

The best ideas will move closer on this continuum to the definition BOLD- they will be significant Big), go beyond the established limits in terms of risk ( Outperform), advanced ( Leading edge) in terms of innovation and difficult for the client in terms of implementation ( Difficult). At the other end of this continuum are safe ( SAFE) ideas that, on the contrary, are insignificant ( Small), are easily achievable in terms of risk ( Achievable); these are ideas-"followers" ( Follower ideas), as opposed to progressive and innovative, and they look like ideas that are easy to implement ( Esey).

c) Counteracting too quick retreat of sales representatives in negotiations.

Recognize and set aside.
Deepen and expand.
Explore and compare.
Yield according to plan.

d) If you really want to create " customer-oriented company", then you have to build " ideologically oriented» company - commercial enterprise, created specifically to generate new ideas that educate customers in new ways of thinking, not only in relation to your products and solutions, but also to their business.

Best Quotes from the book Sales Champions

What type of sales representative are you?

The Sales Executive Council, or SEC, a division of the international consultancy Corporate Executive Board (CEB), conducted a study on the impact of the 2009 crisis on B2B salespeople. In the course of the study, it turned out that sales professionals can be divided into five categories:
1. "Hardworkers". They make the most phone calls, meet with potential customers more often, send out more commercial offers than other representatives.
2. Relationship builders. Strive to meet customer needs. Strong relationships are the most important thing for them.
3. "Lone wolves". They are self-confident and do everything in their own way. Managers are usually dissatisfied with them, but they are in no hurry to dismiss them: they work efficiently.

4. "Problem solvers". They would do great in the service department. For them, the main thing is that the client is satisfied.
5. "Champions". Knowing everything about the client's business and area of activity, they help him to operate more efficiently and generate higher income - in part through purchases made from these same sellers. Discussing something with them is a pleasure, while they know how to make the client look at the problem in a new way.
The study revealed that it was the “champions” who consistently provide companies with the largest share of sales. This conclusion goes against the conventional wisdom that the best B2B salespeople are the ones who are the best at building customer relationships. “Champions” also build relationships, but this is only one aspect of their work. They know that customer loyalty depends primarily not on the product, but on how you sell it. A study conducted by CEB showed that customer loyalty in the B2B sector is 53% dependent on the sales process itself.

“Selling Solutions”

Most sales representatives in the B2B sector work according to the sales assistant method; the meaning of this approach is that the seller should develop such offer which will help the client to solve his problems. The strategy of "selling solutions" obliges sellers to combine goods and services in accordance with the needs of specific customers; thus, the supplier company has the opportunity to overtake competitors. Selling solutions also avoids the commoditization of goods and services and maintains a certain price level. Of course, in order to offer the buyer effective solution, it is necessary to study his needs well. Necessary information sales managers usually get by interviewing customers. However, the latter do not like to waste time talking to annoying salespeople, especially when they are asked about something they do not know themselves. The “champion salesperson” is well aware of one extremely important pattern: customers do not always know what they need. In addition, customers, especially those who are habitually skeptical, may doubt that a solution offered by an "outsider" - a seller with only a superficial knowledge of their business - will suit them. At the same time, if the sales representative tries to poll several internal stakeholders, they can spend a lot of time communicating, which the company - potential client does not want to allow.
Purchasing Solutions - difficult process. Not surprisingly, customers want to share some of the risk with their suppliers. If the product offered by the seller does not help the buyer solve his problem, the buyer will try to hold the supplier accountable. Therefore, the commercial proposal should be drawn up with this possibility in mind. In addition, the customer often requires a custom-designed solution, which is not cheap for the seller. Customers often turn to third-party consultants to “make the most out of their buying decision.” Such actions also reduce the profitability of the transaction for the seller.

New "champions"

Studies have shown that the difference in performance between the best and average sales representatives is 59% for transactional sales; when selling solutions, this gap reaches 200%. That's why B2B companies are looking to staff their workforce with "champions": about 40% of companies fall into this category, according to the SEC. the best specialists for corporate sales. The next most successful group are the “lone wolves”. However, most managers are reluctant to hire them because they are difficult to manage. Of the five identified types of B2B sales professionals, “relationship builders” are the least effective at selling complex solutions and closing deals with new partners. According to the SEC, only 7% of the most successful sales representatives fall into this category.
“Champions of sales” help the client to approach the buying process in a new way. They are especially successful with buyers who themselves have not yet figured out what they need, or are not at all sure that they should buy something. “Champion” will easily support a conversation on financial topics and answer all questions about the transaction budget. Such sellers understand what is especially important for the client, and are not afraid to put pressure on him if necessary. Champions outperform other salespeople in many ways and perform equally well in recessions and booms. These professionals have three main features. Champion Sellers:
1. Use communication with customers to give them useful and up-to-date information about the market; are thoroughly aware of the specific aspects of the clients' business and are able to conduct a constructive dialogue.
2. They know how to evoke a response, because they understand what values are most significant for each of the clients; know how to create an attractive individual offer and how to present it to a potential client.
3. Not afraid to take control of the deal; skillfully object to clients, can ask them “uncomfortable” questions; push clients to close the deal and readily discuss the financial aspects of the deal.

“Customer Training”

Customers don't want to waste time answering sales reps' questions about what they care about the most. They want the sales person to know ahead of time what their problems are and provide them with thoughtful, thoughtful solutions. Clients don't want to enlighten anyone: they want to be enlightened. Therefore, "sales champions" use the information collected and systematized by the marketing department of their company for "commercial education" of the client. “Business training” motivates the buyer and helps him improve his performance through the use of the goods or services offered by the seller, which is exactly what B2B sales professionals should see as their goal. There are four basic rules of “commercial learning”:
1. “Take the conversation to your unique strengths.” Your educational work should lead the client to the idea that your idea is beautiful, and he must, by all means, implement it. And then it's time to move on to the next stage of learning - to tell how your product will help the client achieve their goal.
2. "Question the client's attitudes." Reframing your client's mindset. Let him exclaim: “Wow, I have never looked at these problems from this point of view before!”
3. "Push to action." Present ROI in a way that focuses the customer on the amount they will lose if they don't take action. Let him feel that the problem that has arisen needs to be solved as soon as possible.
4. "Segment your customers." Your company should provide its sales representatives with options for pre-designed solutions (how to solve customer problems), as well as a list of questions by asking which the seller will be able to understand which solution is suitable for this client.
“Commercial training” is carried out in six stages:
1. "Warming up". After mutual introductions, provide the client with information about the problems that, as you know, usually face companies in his industry.
2. "Rethinking". Having characterized the key points, direct the interlocutor's thought in a new direction. Let him take a fresh look at these problems.
3. "Rational immersion." Present to the client data on the funds that his company may be losing due to unwillingness to change the usual working patterns - in other words, due to the fact that he still does not use your product. Give the client as much information as possible: let him feel that he is drowning in it.
4. "Emotional impact." Tell a story that connects the client emotionally to this scary information. The ideal response to your presentation would be: “Yes, this happens to us all the time. And it's unbearable."
5. "New way". You have convincingly formulated the problem - now it is time to propose possible ways to solve it. Focus not on your products or services, but on the benefit that the client will receive if he takes urgent action to improve the situation.
6. "Your decision." Explain why your end-to-end solution (product or service) is better than others to help the client cope with his problem.

“Adaptation of messages”

The management of the client company makes large purchases only after reaching a consensus on this issue. Sellers in the B2B sector must enlist the support of not only official who is directly responsible for making the decision, but also all interested parties who must approve it. To ensure that support, tell each of them what they want to hear. Try to find individual arguments for everyone. The sales team needs to prepare their “champion” well for the showdown with internal stakeholders client company. It must be provided with specially selected information that answers the following questions: “What are the trends in this industry?”; “What are the buyer’s competitors working on?”; “What new regulatory measures can be expected from the government?”

Deal management

You should guide the deal not only at the final stage, when you need to bring it to close. "Seller-champion" controls the progress of the process at all its stages. It comes from the assumption that the client may not be experienced in complex B2B transactions. Therefore, the sales representative educates the customer on the purchase of the solution.
Many executives might argue that letting a sales rep control the deal will cause them to be too active and alienate the customer. In fact, most sellers are too passive. They prefer to indulge the client in everything, while “sales champions” are able to create “constructive tension” in relations with him. By teaching most B2B sales professionals how to manage a deal, their productivity can be greatly improved. The ability to not be afraid of uncertainty will also benefit the cause. It is not necessary to extract the final decision from the client at any cost. “Champions” feel great in a state of uncertainty. They manage to give each stage of the process a special value: for example, helping the client to take a fresh look at an existing problem.

How to hire “sales champions”

If you decide to strengthen your sales team with real “champions”, consider the following:
Find "champions" among your employees. In every sales representative hidden "champion" quality. Help your subordinates to reveal them.
The combination of skills is important. The mere ability to tailor an offer to a specific client or “train” him is not enough to make a serious deal in the B2B market. At the same time, if the seller, who does not know how to do this, tries to control the course of the transaction, this will only cause irritation in the client. Only with all the necessary skills, a sales representative can become a “sales champion”.
“Championship” is inherent in the company, not its sales representative. Without strong organizational support, such as materials needed to “educate” the customer, B2B salespeople have a hard time.
Sales champions don't just appear out of nowhere. It takes time for your group of sales reps to grow into an army of "sales champions".

How to Manage Sales Staff to Raise “Champions”

The Sales Champion Training program requires highly qualified sales leaders. Such a leader is an excellent salesman himself, a skilled manager and a first-class coach. He does everything necessary to ensure that subordinates succeed. Not all successful employees fit the role of "sales champions", so it is better to hire those candidates who are suitable for this role. Keep in mind that the "champion" approach can be used not only in the sales department, but also in other company structures. Get your sales representatives have always been able to provide a convincing answer to the question: “Why should customers buy from us and not from someone else?”

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson challenge traditional sales thinking. After conducting an in-depth study of several thousand salespeople in various industries, they debunked the conventional wisdom that in complex sales those salespeople who build relationships with the client are the most effective and that they form a high-performing team. It turns out that everything is exactly the opposite: it is these sellers who are the least effective. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers, they challenge them.

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Sales champions. What and how the best sellers in the world do differently
Brent Adamson

Matthew Dixon

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson challenge traditional sales thinking. After conducting an in-depth study of several thousand salespeople in various industries, they debunked the conventional wisdom that in complex sales those salespeople who build relationships with the client are the most effective and that they form a high-performing team. It turns out that everything is exactly the opposite: it is these sellers who are the least effective. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers, they challenge them.

Published in Russian for the first time.

Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson

Sales champions. What and how the best sellers in the world do differently

Published with permission from Andrew Nurnberg Literary Agency