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The Challenger Sale cover

The Challenger Sale

Taking Control of the Customer Conversation

Top reps win by teaching and challenging customers, not just building rapport.

by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson

Based on a study of thousands of sales reps, the authors identify five seller profiles and find that Challengers, who teach, tailor, and take control, consistently outperform relationship builders in complex sales. Challengers reframe how customers think about their business and push them toward a differentiated solution. The book lays out how to build a Challenger sales organization.

In competitive B2B markets, founders cannot win on rapport alone. The Challenger approach shows how to lead with insight that reframes the buyer's problem, which is exactly how startups displace incumbents.

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