Challenger Marketing Succeeding in Today’s B2B Battleground

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

THE FIVE PROFILES OF SALES REPS

• Always goes the extra mile

• Doesn’t give up easily

• Self-motivated

• Interested in feedback and development

• Always has a different view of the world

• Understands the customer’s business

• Loves to debate

• Pushes the customer

• Builds strong customer advocates

• Generous in giving time to help others

• Gets along with everyone

Hard Worker Challenger Relationship Builder

• Reliably responds

• Ensures that all problems are solved

• Detail oriented

• Follows own instincts

• Self-assured

• Independent

Lone Wolf Problem Solver

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Challenger

THE CHALLENGER MARKETING JOURNEY (PART 1)

Selling to Empowered Customers

Building Commercial

Insight

Defining Commercial

Insight

Finding the Right Talent

Creating a Content

Ecosystem

Rethinking Lead

Management

Measuring Success

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Selling to Empowered Customers

IT ALL MADE SENSE

Core Beliefs

Customer Centricity

Customer Relationships

Customer Understanding

Customer Value

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUYING

57%

Customer Due Diligence

Begins

Customer Purchase Decision

Customer Contacts Supplier

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

0.013

(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)

Mag

nitu

de o

f Driv

er Im

pact

0.446 Representing a Smart/Expert Perspective

Being Easy to Understand

Containing Interesting Facts or

Anecdotes

Being Accessible/

Quick to Find

DRIVERS CHANGING A CUSTOMERS’ DIRECTION

Non-Statistically Significant Drivers

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

0.013

(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)

0.446 Representing a Smart/Expert Perspective

Being Easy to Understand

Containing Interesting Facts or

Anecdotes

Being Accessible/

Quick to Find

Statistically Significant Drivers

Teaching Customer

about Their Business Needs/

Challenges

Providing Customer

Compelling Reasons to Take

Action

DRIVERS CHANGING A CUSTOMERS’ DIRECTION

Non-Statistically Significant Drivers

0.302

0.446

Mag

nitu

de o

f Driv

er Im

pact

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Defining Commercial Insight

THE SWEET SPOT OF CUSTOMER FOCUS

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

General Information

Accepted Information

Thought Leadership

Insight

Commercial Insight

BREAK DOWN THE A, THEN BUILD UP THE B

A B © 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Current Beliefs/Behavior

Desired Beliefs/Behavior

Creating Commercial Insight

Current Behavior

Current Mental Model

Desired Mental Model

Desired Behavior

THE BIGGER TASK

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Creating a Content Ecosystem

Current Customer Journey through Content

Customer Journey on Marketing-Laid Disruptive Path

Content Content

Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content Content Content Content

Content Content Content

Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content

Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content

Your Content Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Customer Thinks:

“They have some smart things to say…”

Customer Thinks:

“I need to change what I am doing…”

Content Content

Content Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content

Your Content Your Content

Your Content

Your Content Your Content Your Content

Content

Content

Content Content Content

Content Content Content

Content Content

Content

Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content Content

Content Content

Content

Content

Content

Content Content

Content Content

Content

Content Content

Content

Content

Your Content

BUILDING A PATH TO DISRUPTION

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Breaking Down the “A”

Commercial Insight

Spark Concern

Spark Intrigue

Introduce the Solution

Building up the “B”

Introduce the Problem

Personalize the Pain

Personalize the Gain

ALL CONTENT ROADS SHOULD LEAD TO INSIGHT

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Rethinking Lead Management

Breaking Down the “A”

Commercial Insight

Spark Concern

Spark Intrigue

Introduce the Solution

Building up the “B”

Introduce the Problem

Personalize the Pain

Personalize the Gain

TRACKING CONSUMPTION OF DISRUPTION

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Challenger

Selling to Empowered Customers

Building Commercial

Insight

Defining Commercial

Insight

Finding the Right Talent

Creating a Content

Ecosystem

Rethinking Lead

Management

Measuring Success

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

THE CHALLENGER MARKETING JOURNEY (PART 1)

Understanding Challenger

Selling to Customer Consensus

Redefining Value

for B2B

Creating Common Ground

Reducing Perceived Risks

to Mobilize

Equipping Mobilizers to Mobilize

Creating Collective Learning

Redesigning Customer Experience

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

THE CHALLENGER MARKETING JOURNEY (PART 2)

5 QUESTIONS TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT

© 2014 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved.

1.Do you know where your customers learn?

2.Are you present where your customers learn?

3.Are you teaching customers or unteaching them?

4.Does your insight lead exclusively to you?

5.Are you building Challenger reps—or a Challenger organization?