Evolution of B2B Sales Processes

In today’s episode, Brent Adamson and I explore what works and what doesn't work on sales teams, and Brent’s ideas for how we should arm sales teams to go out and win in the market. 

My guest today is Brent Adamson, a researcher, author, presenter, and thinker with a passion for “productive disruption.”

You will learn: 

* The origins of the Challenger Sale concept and how the term "challenger" refers to salespeople who teach customers about their industries and challenge their assumptions, rather than simply telling them what to do.

* Challenging customers to think differently.

* Customer context has changed radically in the last 10 years, making large-scale decisions more complex.

* Why some customers are overwhelmed by internal complexity, information, inability to align on goals, marketing, conflicting messages, etc. 

* Why many marketers misunderstand the customer journey. 

* The supplier selection is a critical problem to solve, but often occurs after the sales side has already been solved for.

* Helping customers feel more confident in their decision-making abilities, rather than simply presenting them with new information.

* How the Challenger Sales approach involves both frame breaking and frame making, with the goal of helping customers navigate their own internal complexity and alignment with colleagues.

* Understanding the buyer's journey. 

* Using value to demonstrate customer confidence, not the other way around.

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If you want to skip ahead: 

(3:22) Sales research findings, including the Challenger Sale study. 

(6:12) Sales profiling, with a focus on the Challenger Sale approach. 

(11:31) Challenging customers to think differently. 

(14:27) Sales strategies. 

(18:05) How buying decisions have become more complex and involve more stakeholders, creating challenges for sellers. 

(23:04) Marketing strategies. 

(28:10) Navigating complex decision-making in business. 

(38:17) Customer confidence and alignment in B2B sales. 

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Connect with Brent Adamson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/ 

Get Brent’s books from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wlHOu4 

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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales: 

Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact 

April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/ 

April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ 

April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

* Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon’s book, The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://amzn.to/3UsTcfG 

* Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner, and Nick Toman’s book, The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results: https://amzn.to/3Ut41y2 

* “Sensemaking for Sales,” Brent Adamson’s article in The Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2022/01/sensemaking-for-sales 

* Matthew Dixon, Ted McKenna’s book, The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision: https://amzn.to/3wuvDuK 

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Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks: 

“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”

“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY 

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt 

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ

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The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.

Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/ 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx 

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4aqyDqI 

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow 

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This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.SuccessWithStories.com