The old appointment-setting recipe is getting kind of stale: Step 1: You ask your prospects to meet with you. Step 2: They resist. Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2. How about trying a new recipe for fresh results? It’s called the “Challenger” method, and it uses tactics designed to push your prospects outside their comfort zone so they’ll be more likely to meet with you. In this presentation from Business Wise Insiders, you'll learn how to open your prospect’s eyes and show them why they should meet with you; questions you can ask on the phone to encourage your prospect to think differently about their problems; and why challenging, provoking, and inspiring your prospects leads to more appointments and more long-term clients.

2. The “Challenger” Approach to
Setting More Appointments

3. The first rule of new business
development:
To land more clients, you need to
set more appointments.

4. You’re looking for the
quickest path to a “yes”...

5. ...but almost always, your
prospect offers resistance
rather than acceptance.

6. Your mission:
Break down that resistance. How?
Challenge your prospect to think
differently about their problems
and priorities, and how they might
benefit from a meeting with you.

7. The Challenger Sale:
Taking Control of the Customer
Conversation
A 2011 book based on a Corporate
Executive Board survey of over 6,000
sales reps across multiple industries.

8. According to The Challenger Sale, there are 5
kinds of sales reps. Which sales rep are you?
What about the rest of your team?
● Hard Worker (willing to go the extra mile, doesn’t give up easily)
● Relationship Builder (always helpful, easy to get along with)
● Lone Wolf (follows his/her own instincts, self-assured)
● Problem Solver (detail-oriented, reliable, clever)
● Challenger (understands customer’s business, loves to debate,
pushes customer)

9. The Challenger Sale:
“While all of these types of reps can
deliver... only one—the Challenger—delivers
consistently high performance.”
Challenger Sales Reps...
● Push prospects to reflect about priorities & challenges
● Inspire new insights about how to save/make money
● Tailor their approach to prospect’s specific
circumstances

10. Use these 4 lessons from The
Challenger Sale to set more
first appointments...

11. LESSON #1:
How You Sell is More
Important than What You Sell

12. Question:
What’s the best way to get
your prospects to agree to
meet with you?

13. Tell them about your fancy
product features? Or…

14. Talk with them about the insights
and ideas they could get from a
meeting with you?

15. Think about the prospect you’re talking to.
● Does he/she know you or your business? (Probably not.)
● Is he/she looking for a solution to a specific problem?
(Maybe… but maybe not.)
● Does he/she even know he has a problem that needs solving?
(Maybe… but maybe not.)
● Was he/she sitting around waiting for your call? (Doubtful.)
● Will he/she receive value from a conversation with someone
whose only goal is to sell something? (No!)

16. Don’t sell your product. Instead, sell
your prospect on the insights, ideas,
and knowledge they’ll get from a
meeting with you.
Wise Guys Tip

17. “I hear what you’re saying. We have a lot of the
same dilemmas and concerns at our company,
and it would be great to have the opportunity to
meet and exchange ideas. Maybe you’ll become a
customer, maybe you won’t, but we could get
some good ideas either way.”
Example:

18. LESSON #2:
Added Value ≠ Prospect
Convenience

19. Fact:
Your prospect will agree to meet with
you when they expect to get some
added value out of that meeting. But
what is “added value”? And how can
you assure your prospects they’ll
receive it?

20. You make things convenient for your
prospects when you…
...agree with everything they say
...reinforce their previously held
views about their business
...avoid “uncomfortable” topics

21. ...and your prospects get NO
added value from the
conversation.

22. On the other hand, when you…
...ask thought-provoking questions
...nudge your prospects out of their
comfort zone
...challenge them to think about their
business goals in a new way

23. ...your prospects see a glimpse
of the value they might receive
from a meeting with you.

24. When your prospects offer resistance, ask
questions to shift the focus of the
conversation, and encourage them to talk
about persistent challenges and unmet
priorities.
Wise Guys Tip

25. “If changing your approach isn’t a top priority right now, what
are your top priorities?”
“It sounds like your process is firing on all cylinders! Are there
things about your process you wish were better?”
“Wow, I don’t hear that very often. Can you share some of the
details of what you’re doing so I can understand what’s
working so well?”
“It sounds like things are going pretty well. Are you ever
concerned about [INSERT COMMON PROBLEM]?”
Example questions:

26. LESSON #3:
Inspire Reflection,
Not Agreement

27. Fact:
Your prospects will see value in a
meeting if they think they’ll learn
something from you. And that means
you need to teach them something. So
what kind of teacher do you want to be?

28. An “easy grader” who tells
prospects they’re doing a good
job even when they’re not?

29. A disciplinarian know-it-all who looks
down on prospects who aren’t sure
how to solve their problems?

30. Or that great teacher from your
childhood who challenged you
in order to inspire you?

31. The Best Teachers:
● Have a firm grasp of the subject matter
● Earn the trust and confidence of their
students
● Inspire reflection with questions and
insights, not mere agreement with
conclusions

32. ● Understand your prospects’ challenges and priorities better than they
do. (TIP: Regularly share stories among your team to expand your
knowledge base.)
● Use examples of how you helped other businesses like theirs discover
and solve problems. (TIP: Ask your clients why they decided to buy
from you.)
● Ask questions that help your prospects reach their own conclusions.
● Use moments of reflection as an invitation to continue the discussion
with a no-strings-attached appointment. (TIP: Don’t give away all your
insights on the phone… wait for the meeting!)
Wise Guys Tips

33. LESSON #4:
Remain Professional,
Empathetic, and Honest

34. As you work to challenge,
inspire, and educate your
prospect, it’s important to
remember...

35. Challenging is not confronting.

36. Educating is not dictating.

37. DON’T talk at your prospects
DO talk with your prospects to discover their challenges and priorities
DON’T tell them they need to meet with you
DO help them understand why they’ll benefit from meeting with you
DON’T make promises you may not be able to keep (“My product will
solve all your problems!”)
DO promise to be honest (even if it means saying “I may not be able
to help you”)
Wise Guys Do’s & Don’ts

38. Your mission (again):
Break down your prospects’ resistance
to an appointment by challenging
them to think differently about their
problems and priorities.

39. The “Challenger” approach to appointment-setting:
● Sell your prospects on the benefits of a meeting (not the
features of your product)
● Offer value by pushing your prospects out of their comfort
zone and encouraging them to talk about challenges &
priorities
● Inspire reflection by teaching your prospect a new way to
look at those challenges and priorities (and use examples
from your current clients)
● Challenge your prospect, but always remain honest,
professional, and empathetic

40. The best part?
If you follow these
guidelines, you’ll not only
set more appointments…

41. ...you’ll set your prospects
on a path that ultimately
leads to your solution

42. ...and plant the seeds of long-
term client relationships
rooted in trust and loyalty.

43. The “Challenger” Approach to
Setting More Appointments

45. © Business Wise Inc. 2015
Flickr Creative Commons images courtesy of:
Lucas Cobb, Kate Ter Haar, Brian Hillegas, Bro. Jeffrey
Pioquinto, SJ, Nichole Renee, chadh
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