the challenger customer: how to identify and engage the right customers

The Challenger Customer: How to Identify and Engage the Right Customers

Justin Shriber Head of Marketing LinkedIn Sales Solutions

Brent Adamson Principal Executive Advisor CEB

Tapping into Social Media is Becoming the Norm

Use Social Selling to build and nurture relationships

Say social selling tools are “important” or “very important” for closing deals

71% 83%

90% Of top sales people use social selling tools, compared with 71% of all sales professionals

Source: 2016 LinkedIn survey of US Sales and Business Development Professionals; n=1017

An Introduction to The Challenger Customer

Brent Adamson @brentadamson

n = 3,000.

0%

50%

100%

81%

55% 53%

31%

1 2 3 4 5 6+ Size of Buying Team

60% Purchase

Likelihood

60%

5.4 Average Buying

Group Size

Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases

Stakeholder 1 Mental Model

Goal Priorities Metrics Means

Stakeholder 2 Mental Model

Goal Priorities Metrics Means

Stakeholder 3 Mental Model

Goal Priorities Metrics Means

The Lowest Common Denominator

The Teacher The Blocker The Climber The Guide

The Go-Getter The Friend The Skeptic

Seven Types of Customer Stakeholders

Mobilizer™ Customers Get the Deal Done

Highly Likely

Highly Unlikely

1. 0x 0.89x

0.66x

0.23x

-0.20x -0.22x

-0.95x

Like

lihoo

d to

Driv

e

Org

aniz

atio

nal A

ctio

n

n = 717. Source: CEB analysis.

“Mobilizer Customers” “Talkers”

The Go- Getter

The Teacher

The Skeptic

The Guide

The Friend

The Climber

The Blocker

1. Identify Mobilizer Customers, not “Customer Champions”

2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership

3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change

What Now?

Finding Mobilizers

1. Identify Mobilizers versus “Champions”

2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership

3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change

What Now?

0.013

(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)

Mag

nitu

de o

f Driv

er Im

pact

Representing a Smart/Expert Perspective

Being Easy to Understand

Containing Interesting Facts or

Anecdotes

Being Accessible/

Quick to Find

Non-Statistically Significant Drivers

Drivers of Changing a Customer’s Purchase Path

Statistically Significant Drivers

0.302

0.013

(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)

Mag

nitu

de o

f Driv

er Im

pact

0.446

Teaching Customer Something New

about Their Business Needs/

Challenges

Providing the Customer with

Compelling Reasons to Take

Action

Representing a Smart/Expert Perspective

Being Easy to Understand

Containing Interesting Facts or

Anecdotes

Being Accessible/

Quick to Find

Non-Statistically Significant Drivers

Drivers of Changing a Customer’s Purchase Path

Current Beliefs/Behavior

Desired Beliefs/Behavior

A B Break down the “A,” then Build up the “B”

1. Identify Mobilizers versus “Champions”

2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership

3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change

What Now?

Customer Coaches the Rep Rep Coaches the Customer

Core Rep Engagement Strategy Star Rep Engagement Strategy

1.  Understand stakeholders’ goals 2.  Determine criteria for purchase 3.  Understand stakeholders’ relation to

each other

1.  Arm the customer to teach 2.  Help buyers build consensus 3.  Help customers understand purchase

process

How to Engage Mobilizers

Sales and Marketing can tag team on content Reps post insightful content…. …and buyers engage

CEB equips organizations through best practices, tools, and implementation support to: •  Source, assess and develop ChallengerTM sellers •  Develop sales talent to engage MobilizerTM customers •  Create Commercial Insights •  Drive efficiency and impact through sales enablement

Linkedin Sales Navigator is a stand-alone, premium version of LinkedIn, specifically designed to help you: •  Identify and focus on the right people and companies •  Leverage your network for warm introductions •  Stay informed on key account updates •  Build trust with your prospects and customers

For more information, please visit:

ChallengerCustomer.com

For more information, please visit:

sales.linkedin.com