This book builds on the authors' previous work, 'The Challenger Sale', by focusing on the challenges of selling to a group of buyers with different goals and priorities. It identifies seven profiles of B2B buyers, distinguishing 'Talkers' from 'Mobilizers', who have the credibility and persuasive skills to drive consensus within the customer organization. The authors provide research-based tools and a blueprint for finding, engaging, and equipping these Mobilizers to effectively challenge their own organization and push deals to completion.
SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham is a seminal work in the field of sales, particularly focused on large and complex sales. The book is the result of a 12-year, $1 million research project by Huthwaite corporation, analyzing over 35,000 sales calls. It introduces the SPIN methodology, which involves asking four types of questions: Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-Payoff. This approach helps salespeople understand the client's needs, identify problems, appreciate the implications of these problems, and clarify the benefits of the solution. The book challenges traditional sales techniques, especially those focused on closing, and emphasizes a consultative, customer-centric approach that fosters long-term relationships and increases sales effectiveness.
The JOLT Effect, written by Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna, addresses the vital problem of customer indecision in sales. Drawing from a study of over 2.5 million sales conversations, the book reveals that high-performing sales reps succeed by addressing the customer’s fear of failure. It offers a counterintuitive playbook that turns conventional sales wisdom on its head, providing robust data, insights, and practical guidance to close the gap between customer intent and action.
In 'Obviously Awesome,' April Dunford provides a practical, step-by-step guide on product positioning. Drawing from her extensive experience in tech marketing, Dunford explains how to identify a product's 'secret sauce' and sell it to the right audience. The book covers key topics such as the five components of effective positioning, how to connect an audience to the product's value, choosing the best market, and leveraging market trends. It is punctuated with witty anecdotes and compelling case studies, making it both entertaining and illuminating for entrepreneurs, marketers, and salespeople.
Based on an extensive study of thousands of sales reps across multiple industries, 'The Challenger Sale' argues that classic relationship building is less effective, especially in complex business-to-business sales. The authors identify five distinct sales profiles, with the 'Challenger' being the highest performer. Challengers approach customers with unique insights, tailor their message to the customer's needs, and assertively take control of the sale. The book provides a framework for identifying and training sales reps to adopt the Challenger approach, which can lead to higher customer loyalty and greater growth.
Matt Dixon is one of the world’s foremost experts in sales and the author of The Challenger Sale, which sold over a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent book, The JOLT Effect, focuses on overcoming customer indecision—one of the biggest challenges to closing deals. Outside of writing, Matt co-founded DCM Insights, a boutique consultancy helping organizations understand customer behavior, and is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, with more than 20 print and online articles to his credit. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Why 40% to 60% of qualified sales opportunities are lost due to customer indecision
• Why dialing up FOMO doesn’t work, and what to do instead
• The “pings and echoes” technique to catch issues early
• The JOLT method for overcoming indecision
• Key lessons from The Challenger Sale
• Practical examples of how to apply these principles to close more deals
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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/close-more-deals-matt-dixon
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Where to find Matt Dixon:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon
• Website: https://www.jolteffect.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Matt’s background
(01:57) The research behind Matt’s books
(06:08) Insights from The JOLT Effect
(10:15) FOMO vs. FOMU
(18:18) An example of selling software
(26:04) The JOLT method Step 1: Judge their level of indecision
(29:41) The “pings and echoes” technique
(34:49) Step 2: Offer a recommendation
(38:36) Step 3: Limit the exploration
(41:43) Step 4: Take risk off the table
(45:58) When to hit the pause button with a customer
(47:27) Insights from The Challenger Sale
(49:07) An example of a challenger sale
(55:23) Where to find Matt
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Referenced:
• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting
• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/0670922854
• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision: https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102
• Gartner acquires CEB: https://www.gartner.com/en/about/acquisitions/history/ceb-acquisition
• Tiger King on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994
• Why sourdough went viral: https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/08/04/why-sourdough-went-viral
• Neil Rackham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Rackham
• Status quo bias in decision-making: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias
• Omission bias: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/omission-bias
• Gartner Magic Quadrant & Critical Capabilities: https://www.gartner.com/en/research/magic-quadrant
• Dunning-Kruger effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
• Stop Losing Sales to Customer Indecision: https://hbr.org/2022/06/stop-losing-sales-to-customer-indecision
• Dentsply Sirona: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/
• “We happy?” Briefcase scene from Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGchDuOpbhE
• Nupro Freedom Cordless Prophy System: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-us/discover/discover-by-category/preventive/hygiene-handpieces.html
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
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