Archives for December 2011

For the past two weeks, I’ve been writing about the characteristics of the challenger sales rep—which research has shown to be the most effective type of sales person. The research confirms that the sales rep needs to have valuable insight before she can effectively communicate with the customer. Here at Delta Point we refer to that as the need to diagnose before prescribing. Just as a doctor will ask questions to ascertain what treatment option is best for a patient, sales reps need to ask questions that engender thinking.

In my last blog, “Buzz about the Challenger Sales Rep” I promised that I would continue my discussion about the Challenger Sales Rep and what makes this rep the top performer. The study concluded that all Challenger Sales Reps share three main characteristics. The first of these is the ability to “teach for differentiation”.

There’s been a lot of buzz lately among sales professionals and sales leaders about the characteristics/qualities of a great sales rep. In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review blog titled “Selling Is Not About Relationships” caught my attention. Anytime a group such as the Corporate Executive Board conducts a large study aimed at learning more about selling, the findings are definitely worth considering.