{"id":273034,"date":"2015-11-17T13:17:39","date_gmt":"2015-11-17T21:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.admarco.net\/inbound-marketing-messaging-sales-performance-blog\/the-challenger-customer-book-review"},"modified":"2015-11-17T13:17:53","modified_gmt":"2015-11-17T21:17:53","slug":"the-challenger-customer-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customerthink.com\/the-challenger-customer-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Challenger Customer – Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span><\/p>\n

Long awaited and an even more useful book for sales enablement and marketing professionals than The Challenger Sale.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Challenger Customer, Selling to the hidden influencers who can multiply your results\u201d is a \u201cmust-read\u201d for all B2B marketing, sales and sales enablement professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n

This book is well written, well researched, often funny and I believe, more important than its predecessor, \u201cThe Challenger Sale\u201d- see my review<\/a>, because it busts more than a few myths about how to influence a B2B buying cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has never been harder to create and win a new sales opportunity, where the sale involves a considered purchase of capital software, equipment or services and the outcome is a profitable deal for your company.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem of course is that Internet has changed the way companies and individuals buy and consequently how the suppliers of technology products must sell.\u00a0Digitally empowered buyers no longer need salespeople except in the final stages of the buying process when configuration, implementation and discounting questions arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless the supplier has initiated the buying process, vendors will not be invited into a conversation until the buyer has already determined what they are prepared to pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short-listed vendors are invited to a bake-off and asked, or forced to discount their wares.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who needs this business, when your margin is through the floor or you lose money to win the deal? This is the reality that vendors of technology products and services confront daily.<\/span><\/p>\n

How then can technology vendors initiate and hope to influence a buying process, where buyers use up to a dozen information sources, including the Internet, consultants, peer reviews and social media in researching a considered purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compounding this difficulty is a new reality where only 2% of marketing qualified opportunities result in a sale and the majority of forecast opportunities end in no-decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve a capital sale of products or services that creates value for your customer and provides a healthy margin for your company, you must initiate the sale.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it is not enough just to champion your solution.<\/span><\/p>\n