There are many ways to approach a sale, whether it’s assertive or instinctual, reliable or habitual.

Overall, there are five main ways that salespeople interact with customers. Of the following profiles, which do you think is typically the top performer?

1. The Problem Solver™: detail oriented and reliable

2. The Relationship Builder™: highly accessible and responsive

3. The Challenger™*: assertive, pushy, and a debater

4. The Lone Wolf™: follows instincts, not rules

5. The Hard Worker™: last to turn the lights off

A study by CEB shows that of the five, there is one sales profile that crushes quota more than any other.

The clear winner is the Challenger™

Why is this? Because top sales performers who are Challengers™ force their customers to think outside their norms, push for creative solutions to problems, and are even able to highlight problems that their customers miss.

And although conventional wisdom suggests that the Relationship Builder™ should have the advantage, because of their ability to create connections with customers and prospects, the data doesn’t back it up. In fact, high performers in complex sales are ten-times more likely to be Challengers™ than Relationship Builders™.

Join the co-authors of The Challenger Sale live — Brent Adamson, CEB Managing Director, and Matt Dixon, CEB Executive Director —  at the CEB Sales Summit for a day of thought-provoking discussions on critical topics shaping B2B sales today. Click here for more info.

Every rep can be more like the Challenger™. To learn how to create a culture of Challengers™ in your company, download the free ebook Do You Fit the Profile that Wins More Sales?