How Challengers Account Plan

[image error]What should be keeping this customer up at night?

That is the single most important question sellers must know about their best accounts – arguably all accounts – but most certainly their most promising.

Account managers are exposed to a level of customer knowledge that allows them to confidently answer this question, and create a mutually valuable partnership in the process. However, answering this question based on blind assertion or speculation is playing with fire.

Extensive data analysis and dozens of interviews with the highest performing Challenger reps in our global membership have revealed that Challengers answer this question in a unique way. We recently shared what we’ve learned by introducing the Challenger Plan to members of CEB Sales Executive Council.

First, it’s important to understand that the best salespeople conduct extensive due diligence of their accounts. This goes well beyond a Hoover’s report, reading the latest public filing statements, and reviewing the customer website. As one rep told us, “public filings lead you to information the customer already knows about themselves… I have to learn things that the customer has yet to realize about their own organization.”

Specifically what information are the best salespeople seeking? That’s the basis of the Challenger Plan, which aims to help sellers think through the customer dynamics and Challenger actions to grow the account. The Plan is comprised of 4 critical questions: 

What Change is Occurring? In the Challenger mind, change equates to commercial opportunity. Change, particularly change surrounded by customer uncertainty, leads to excellent chances to teach the customer. Challengers constantly assess change in the customer’s world. This could be internal change, such as leadership transition, or external change such as legislative or regulatory issues.

How is the Customer Responding to This Change? Is the customer aware? Has the customer taken action or started to think through the emerging issue? Again, Challengers are looking for opportunity to teach, and help the customer build consensus around an action plan.

Who are the Key Players? This is pretty self-explanatory, and any account plan must have this section. As we know however, identifying Mobilizers is of the utmost importance. Mobilizers are not the typical advocate or customer coach – in fact, they rarely want to engage with a supplier. But they build consensus in amazing ways. (Check out our interactive Mobilizer Identification Tool). For non-members, check out our latest blog for the Harvard Business Review on Mobilizers.

Where is the Customer in Their Buying Process? This is not a reflection of where the seller is in their sales process, but rather reflection of where the buyer stands. Challengers seek out opportunities to take control of the sale and show the customer how to build consensus, how to handle objections, and how to manage the change associated with a substantial purchase.

These questions scratch the surface of the Challenger Plan, and the underlying tools we’ve created to help our member organizations and their salespeople adopt a Challenger mindset. But they are vitally important questions that we encourage all our readers to ask of themselves and their sales team when account planning.