Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon developed the ChAMP sales methodology. They conducted extensive research on thousands of salespeople across industries and regions. Subsequently, they published their findings in their book The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation. This methodology shares resemblance to ANUM and BANT, but it switches out needs with challenges.
The assumption here is that a prospect will be interested to commit to a solution depending on the challenges that they are having in their organization. Instead of focusing on looking for the Authority in the organization or the budget that they might be willing to spend, a lead generation expert can jump right into the meat of the matter.
That being: the challenge.
ChAMP
The ChAMP (Challenger Account Management Process) sales methodology is a strategic approach to sales that focuses on challenging the customer’s thinking and providing valuable insights. It is a customer-centric approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer’s business, identifying their pain points, and presenting a solution that is tailored to their specific needs.
CHallenges
The first step in the ChAMP sales methodology is to connect with the customer. This involves building a relationship with the customer and understanding their business, their pain points, and their goals. The goal of this step is to establish trust and rapport with the customer.
The step involves checking whether the prospect (or their organization) has specific challenges that you can solve. This is basic human nature.
People seek solutions to make their lives easier. However, they have a higher propensity to make a purchase if they are currently facing an obstacle that’s getting in the way.
To a degree, it gives them a sense of urgency regarding their situation.
Authority
Like the rest of the lead qualification frameworks, it is essential that you are talking to the right person in the organization that you’re setting an appointment for or marketing to. This step ensures that you are being efficient with the time and resources that you have.
Money
Since you started with challenges, now you need to know if the company places the same value on the solution that you offer to counter the problem that they are experiencing.
Again, a lot of marketers need to understand that sometimes a company can go over their budget to fix a problem that’s really getting under their skin.
Priority
ChAMP ditches the word Time or Urgency, in favor of the word Priority. The timing or urgency of sales is also based on priorities that they have.
If you assume that all potential buyers will buy your solution, then the only question is when will they buy into what you have to offer?
And, that all depends on how much a priority they attach to solving the problem that you want to fix for them.
Key Steps
The ChAMP sales methodology is built on five key steps:
- Teach
- Tailor
- Take Control
- Create Consensus, and
- Close
Teach
The first step of the ChAMP methodology is to teach the customer something new and valuable about their business. This requires a deep understanding of the customer’s industry and business challenges, and the ability to bring insights and data-driven analysis to the conversation. The goal of this step is to challenge the customer’s assumptions and create a sense of urgency around their business challenges.
Tailor
The second step is to tailor your message to the customer’s specific needs and challenges. This requires a thorough understanding of the customer’s business model, goals, and priorities, as well as their decision-making process. The goal of this step is to create a customized solution that meets the customer’s unique needs.
Take Control
The third step is to take control of the sales process by leading the customer through a structured conversation that drives toward a specific outcome. This requires the ability to ask powerful questions, actively listen to the customer’s responses, and guide the conversation in a way that builds momentum toward a sale. The goal of this step is to create a sense of urgency and move the customer toward a decision.
Create Consensus
The fourth step is to create consensus among the customer’s decision-makers by identifying and addressing any potential objections or concerns. This requires a deep understanding of the customer’s decision-making process, as well as the ability to build trust and credibility with multiple stakeholders. The goal of this step is to ensure that everyone involved in the decision-making process is aligned and committed to the solution.
Close
The final step is to close the sale by asking for the customer’s business in a clear and compelling way. This requires the ability to confidently articulate the value of the solution and address any remaining concerns or objections. The goal of this step is to create a sense of urgency and move the customer to take action.
Examples
IBM
IBM is a great example of a company that has successfully implemented the ChAMP sales methodology. IBM’s sales team uses the ChAMP approach to connect with customers and understand their business needs. They then provide valuable insights and information that challenge the customer’s thinking and present a tailored solution that meets the customer’s specific needs.
For example, IBM worked with a large bank to develop a solution that would help the bank identify and prevent fraudulent transactions. IBM’s sales team used the ChAMP approach to connect with the bank and understand their business needs. They then provided insights into the latest trends in fraud prevention and presented a solution that was tailored to the bank’s specific needs. The result was a successful partnership that helped the bank save millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions.
SalesLoft
SalesLoft is another company that has successfully implemented the ChAMP sales methodology. SalesLoft is a sales engagement platform that helps sales teams automate and personalize their outreach. SalesLoft’s sales team uses the ChAMP approach to connect with customers and understand their business needs. They then provide valuable insights and information that challenge the customer’s thinking and present a tailored solution that meets the customer’s specific needs.
For example, SalesLoft worked with a large software company to help them improve their sales outreach. SalesLoft’s sales team used the ChAMP approach to connect with the software company and understand their business needs. They then provided insights into the latest trends in sales outreach and presented a solution that was tailored to the software company’s specific needs. The result was a successful partnership that helped the software company increase their sales outreach by 50%.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is another company that has successfully implemented the ChAMP sales methodology. AWS is a cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services to businesses of all sizes. AWS’s sales team uses the ChAMP approach to connect with customers and understand their business needs. They then provide valuable insights and information that challenge the customer’s thinking and present a tailored solution that meets the customer’s specific needs.
For example, AWS worked with a large e-commerce company to help them scale their infrastructure to meet their growing customer base. AWS’s sales team used the ChAMP approach to connect with the e-commerce company and understand their business needs. They then provided insights into the latest trends in cloud computing and presented a solution that was tailored to the e-commerce company’s specific needs. The result was a successful partnership that helped the e-commerce company scale their infrastructure and improve their customer experience.
A software company selling to a hospital system
A software company was struggling to sell their product to a large hospital system. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to gain traction with the hospital’s decision-makers and were losing sales to competitors. They decided to adopt the ChAMP methodology to reframe their approach.
In the first step of the ChAMP methodology, the software company conducted extensive research on the hospital system and discovered that they were struggling to manage patient data across multiple systems. They created a presentation that highlighted the challenges of managing patient data in a complex healthcare environment and presented this to the hospital system’s decision-makers.
In the second step, the software company tailored their message to the hospital system’s specific needs by demonstrating how their software could streamline the patient data management process and improve patient outcomes.
In the third step, the software company took control of the sales process by leading the hospital system’s decision-makers through a structured conversation that demonstrated the value of their software.
In the fourth step, the software company created consensus among the hospital system’s decision-makers by addressing any objections and concerns they had about the software. They also brought in a third-party expert to provide additional credibility and support for their solution.
In the final step, the software company closed the sale by asking for the hospital system’s business in a clear and compelling way. They also provided a clear implementation plan and ongoing support to ensure a successful rollout of the software.
As a result of their use of the ChAMP methodology, the software company was able to win a multi-million dollar contract with the hospital system and establish themselves as a trusted provider of healthcare software solutions.
A consulting firm selling to a manufacturing company
A consulting firm was struggling to sell their services to a manufacturing company. The company was hesitant to invest in consulting services, as they had a history of working with internal teams to solve their business challenges. The consulting firm decided to adopt the ChAMP methodology to reframe their approach.
In the first step of the ChAMP methodology, the consulting firm conducted extensive research on the manufacturing company and discovered that they were facing significant challenges in reducing their production costs. They created a presentation that highlighted the impact of rising production costs on the company’s bottom line and presented this to the manufacturing company’s decision-makers.
In the second step, the consulting firm tailored their message to the manufacturing company’s specific needs by demonstrating how their consulting services could help the company identify cost savings opportunities and improve their overall operational efficiency.
In the third step, the consulting firm took control of the sales process by leading the manufacturing company’s decision-makers through a structured conversation that demonstrated the value of their consulting services.
In the fourth step, the consulting firm created consensus among the manufacturing company’s decision-makers by addressing any objections and concerns they had about the consulting services. They also provided case studies of similar manufacturing companies that had successfully reduced their production costs with the help of the consulting firm.
In the final step, the consulting firm closed the sale by asking for the manufacturing company’s business in a clear and compelling way. They also provided a clear implementation plan and ongoing support to ensure a successful engagement.
As a result of their use of the ChAMP methodology, the consulting firm was able to win a multi-year contract with the manufacturing company and establish themselves as a trusted provider of consulting services for manufacturing companies.
