• Relationship Builders focus on developing strong personal and professional relationships and advocates across the customer organisation. They are generous with their time, strive to meet customers’ every need and work hard to resolve tensions in the commercial relationship.
• Hard Workers
• Lone Wolves
• Reactive Problem Solvers
• Challengers use their deep understanding of their customers’ businesses to push their thinking and take control of the sales’ conversation. They’re not afraid to share even potentially controversial views and are assertive — with both their customers and bosses.

1. They ‘teach’ prospects and customers. The challenger salesperson is focused on providing commercial teaching to the customer which challenges the customer’s assumptions. Instead of doing things the way they have always been done, challengers are asking customers to change their behaviour. Ultimately, they are then able to outperform competitors on the very things they have taught the customers to be important.
2. They ‘tailor’ their approach. The challenger salesperson understands the customer’s unique value drivers and offers a different perspective or solution. These are the sales people who you would identify as being different to ‘everybody else’.
3. They ‘take control’. They are comfortable in being a little bit unsettling with their customer approach and are confident in discussing money and price. They create momentum and push things along quickly, paying close attention to address customer concerns, as soon as they arise.

 References 

Ross Clennett (2016) Selling Skills for Recruiters

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (2011) Selling is not about relationships. Harvard Business Review

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (2013) The Challenger Sales: Taking control of the Customer Conversation

Mark Garbeletto (2013) The business of sales