Challenger Sales Superstars

There is natural aligning of the 5 attributes of a Sales Superstar (see Rule #12) in my book 42 Rules to Increase Sales Effectiveness and the 5 sales rep types from The Challenger Sale.

1. Driver………………….1. Hard Worker
2. Technician…………….2. Lone Wolf
3. Facilitator……………..3. Challenger
4. Empathizer……………4. Relationship Builder
5. Servant………………..5. Reactive Problem Solver

While the Sales Executive Council research reveals the Challenger Rep is the top sales producing profile in a post-2008 world, the message should be to balance out and develop all 5 behavioral areas. Nothing wrong with being an Empathizer-Relationship Builder, as long as you develop other areas, particularly provocative Facilitator-Challenger skills and actions. There’s nothing like a capable Technician-Lone Wolf with a Servant-Problem Solving heart and honed people skills.

We all want to hire “the best” or be “top producers” – the real catch is the one who’s the “full package.” Bottom line: true superstar sales reps are balanced people. Great reps, sales superstars in my book, possess healthy doses of all 5 points on the star. The good news is that these are teachable; the challenge is that they be necessarily honed and developed in a changing world.

Are you a Challenger Sales Superstar?