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
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