Unlock hundreds more features
Save your Quiz to the Dashboard
View and Export Results
Use AI to Create Quizzes and Analyse Results

OR
Sign inSign in with Facebook
Sign inSign in with Google
Quizzes > Business & Finance > Marketing & Management

Ready to Ace the Challenger Sales Model? Take the Quiz!

Think you can answer the toughest challenger sales questions? Dive in!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art quiz illustration on dark blue background about challenger sales model skills assessment.

Are you ready to showcase your expertise in turning customer beliefs upside down? Our free Challenger Sale Quiz puts your skills to the test with challenger sales model questions designed to push you further. Whether you're tackling core challenger sales questions or probing deeper with nuanced challenger questions, you'll pinpoint blind spots, reinforce proven techniques to differentiate your pitch, and learn how to disrupt prospects' status quo. Jump into our sales quiz now and also sharpen your sales logic - challenge yourself today and revolutionize your results!

Which of the following is one of the five sales rep profiles defined in the Challenger Sales model?
The Consultant
The Strategist
The Challenger
The Innovator
The Challenger is one of the five profiles in the model, characterized by teaching customers, tailoring messages, and taking control of the sale. This profile often excels at challenging customers' thinking with insights. Forrester Research on Challenger Sale
What are the three core pillars of the Challenger Sales approach?
Teach, Tailor, Take Control
Prospect, Pitch, Persist
Listen, Empathize, Close
Qualify, Quantify, Quicken
Challenger sellers differentiate by teaching with insight, tailoring their message to the customer, and taking control of the purchase process. These three pillars are foundational to the model. Harvard Business Review on Challenger Selling
In the Challenger profile, what is meant by 'commercial teaching'?
Offering free workshops and seminars
Educating customers on insights that reframe their thinking
Training the internal sales team on product features
Providing technical specs to decision makers
Commercial teaching refers to using tailored insights to challenge customer assumptions and guide them to a new perspective on their business problems. It's a key element in differentiating offerings. Salesforce Guide to Challenger Sale
Which profile is considered least effective in complex sales according to the Challenger study?
The Lone Wolf
The Hard Worker
The Reactive Problem Solver
The Relationship Builder
The Reactive Problem Solver was not identified as one of the top five profiles and performs poorly in complex sales because they react to problems rather than proactively teaching customers. McKinsey on Challenger Sale Performance
Tailoring your message in the Challenger model primarily focuses on:
Customizing insights to resonate with specific customer needs
Lowering prices for budget-sensitive buyers
Providing generic marketing collateral
Using the same pitch across all industries
Tailoring means shaping your teaching and insights so they directly address the unique challenges and priorities of the customer's role and industry. It's vital for relevance. Gartner on Sales Insight
Which outcome is a hallmark of an effective Challenger sales rep?
Shorter sales cycles
Strict adherence to scripts
Lower call volumes
Higher conversion rates through insight-driven dialogue
Challengers drive higher win rates by fostering constructive tension and guiding customers with new insights, improving conversion through differentiated value. Sales Hacker on Challenger Sales
What is the primary goal of the 'Take Control' pillar?
To provide the lowest possible price
To dominate the conversation and ignore customer objections
To guide the customer through the decision-making process assertively
To micromanage internal sales operations
Taking control means assertively leading the sale, managing objections and spending discussions, and ensuring momentum towards a decision without being overly aggressive. Vantage Circle on Challenger Sales
Which of these is NOT a component of the Challenger Sales methodology?
Building deep personal relationships only
Resolving customer objections before they arise
Challenging customer thinking
Driving constructive tension
While relationship building has value, the Challenger model emphasizes insight and control rather than relying solely on personal rapport. It focuses on teaching and challenging rather than just bonding. Forbes on Challenger Sale
What does 'reframing' refer to in the context of Challenger sales?
Altering a customer's perspective on their problem to reveal new opportunities
Negotiating pricing brackets
Using a whiteboard to map the sales process
Changing the organizational structure of a client
Reframing involves guiding customers to view their challenges differently - often highlighting risk or cost of inaction - to make your solution more compelling. HBR on Reframing
Which technique helps create 'constructive tension' during a sales conversation?
Focusing on small talk
Avoiding difficult questions
Offering immediate discounts
Sharing surprising industry insights that expose hidden costs
Constructive tension arises when you present data or insights that challenge the status quo and prompt customers to re-evaluate their current approach. Salesforce on Constructive Tension
During the teaching phase, which type of insight is most impactful?
Generic market data
Commercial insights that connect to strategic priorities
Cost-only insights
Internal company anecdotes
Commercial insights link directly to a customer's strategic priorities and illustrate how change can drive business results. They are more powerful than generic market facts. Gartner on Commercial Insights
What is a key indicator that a salesperson is effectively tailoring their message?
They provide a lengthy product demonstration
They use the same deck for every call
They avoid industry jargon completely
They reference the prospect's specific business challenges and metrics
Referencing specific metrics and challenges shows the rep has customized the discussion to the customer's context, which is a hallmark of proper tailoring. LinkedIn on Tailoring
Which of the following best describes 'rational drowning' in the Challenger framework?
Sharing non-relevant success stories
Focusing solely on emotional appeals
Presenting too many pricing options
Overloading the customer with factual evidence of risk or cost
Rational drowning involves overwhelming customers with logical data points that highlight the negative impact of maintaining the status quo. It raises urgency through facts. Sales Hacker on Rational Drowning
When 'taking control' of price discussions, a Challenger sales rep will:
Reframe value before discussing cost and guide negotiations
Focus exclusively on product features
Immediately concede on price to win the deal
Avoid discussing price until final contract
Challengers manage price by reinforcing the differentiated value of their solution before negotiating costs, ensuring discussions remain value-focused. McKinsey on Price Control
Which CRM activity aligns with the Challenger approach?
Logging generic meeting notes
Documenting customer objections without follow-up
Tracking only the number of calls made
Recording custom-tailored insights and next steps for each account
Effective Challenger reps document unique insights and plan next steps that align with the customer's priorities, enabling a tailored follow-up. Salesforce CRM Best Practices
What is the role of 'emotional impact' in the Challenger methodology?
To avoid any mention of ROI
To solely drive cost-based decisions
To balance data with stories that resonate with stakeholders' emotions
To rely only on technical specifications
Emotional impact involves pairing rational data with compelling narratives to make insights memorable and motivate action on both logical and emotional levels. HBR on Emotional Impact
How does the Challenger model recommend handling a customer who insists on a lowest-price guarantee?
Revisit the unique insights that differentiate your solution before negotiating price
Offer an immediate discount to close quickly
End the conversation until they come back without the request
Refer them to your marketing brochure
Challenger reps push back constructively by restating the value and insights that justify price, instead of conceding, thereby reinforcing differentiation. Forrester Study
Which metric best measures the success of 'teaching for differentiation'?
Total website visits
Length of proposal documents
Increase in customer's perception of value over competitors
Number of cold calls made
Success in teaching for differentiation is reflected in how much more customers value your insights relative to other market options. It's a qualitative perception metric. Gartner Insight
In a multi-stakeholder environment, how should a Challenger rep allocate insight delivery?
Use generic product demos
Tailor specific insights to each stakeholder's role and priorities
Deliver the same insight to all stakeholders
Present only to the economic buyer
Different stakeholders have varying priorities; effective reps customize insights to align with each individual's objectives to build consensus. Salesforce on Stakeholder Management
When constructing a commercial insight, which element is least important?
Personal anecdote about the seller
A surprising data point
Relevance to customer's business
Connection to strategic impact
While anecdotes can humanize a pitch, the core of a commercial insight is data-driven surprise, relevance, and strategic impact, not the seller's personal story. McKinsey on Insights
What distinguishes a 'hard worker' from a 'challenger' in this model?
Hard workers focus on effort and calls rather than challenging customer thinking
Hard workers rely on insight-driven teaching
There is no difference
Challengers only build relationships
Hard workers are diligent and self-motivated but primarily focus on activity levels, whereas challengers focus on teaching and reframing customer conversations. Forbes Analysis
Which obstacle is most common when implementing Challenger training organizationally?
Too few product features
Insufficient CRM licenses
Lack of salesforce buy-in to change their style
Overabundance of insight materials
Sales teams often resist changing established behaviors; gaining buy-in for a more assertive, insight-driven approach is typically the biggest hurdle. HBR on Implementation
How can a Challenger rep measure the effectiveness of 'constructive tension' in an opportunity?
By counting the number of objections raised
By assessing changes in customer urgency and willingness to engage
By tracking marketing brochure distribution
By logging meeting durations
Effective tension increases a customer's sense of urgency, reflected in deeper discussions, faster responses, and clear next-step commitments. Sales Hacker on Tension Metrics
In a complex deal, how should a Challenger rep integrate economic and emotional cases to convince an executive sponsor?
Use product technical data exclusively
Lead with a strategic insight, quantify financial impact, and reinforce with an emotional success story
Emphasize ROI calculations only
Skip financials and focus solely on high-level vision
Executives respond best when a compelling strategic insight is backed by clear ROI and humanized with a relatable success story, combining logic and emotion. Gartner Expert Insights
Which advanced tactic helps maintain Challenger behaviors in a distributed sales force?
Regular insight-sharing forums and peer challenge sessions
Standardized slide decks only
Weekly quota reminders
Micromanagement of each call
Ongoing forums where sellers share new insights and critique each other reinforce the Challenger approach and prevent regression to old habits. Salesforce on Continuous Training
How do you validate that your commercial insight is truly unique in the market?
By assuming internal data is sufficient
By using generic industry reports
By focusing solely on historical case studies
By cross-checking against competitor public statements and customer feedback
Validating uniqueness requires comparing your insight to both competitor narratives and real customer reactions to ensure it provides fresh perspective. Forrester on Insight Validation
When scaling Challenger across multiple regions, the most critical adaptation is:
Dropping the Take Control pillar
Customizing insights and language for local market nuances
Translating standard scripts verbatim
Centralizing all deal reviews
Different markets have distinct competitive landscapes and customer mindsets; localizing insights and expressions is essential for relevance and credibility. Gartner on Global Scaling
0
{"name":"Which of the following is one of the five sales rep profiles defined in the Challenger Sales model?", "url":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/QPREVIEW","txt":"Which of the following is one of the five sales rep profiles defined in the Challenger Sales model?, What are the three core pillars of the Challenger Sales approach?, In the Challenger profile, what is meant by 'commercial teaching'?","img":"https://www.quiz-maker.com/3012/images/ogquiz.png"}

Study Outcomes

  1. Understand the Challenger Sales Model -

    Gain a clear grasp of the key principles and objectives behind the challenger sales model questions to better inform your sales approach.

  2. Differentiate Sales Personas -

    Identify and describe the distinct characteristics of each Challenger Sale persona to know which style best fits various customer interactions.

  3. Analyze Challenger Questions -

    Break down challenger sales questions and techniques to see how they provoke insight and drive customer engagement.

  4. Apply Insight-Driven Tactics -

    Use real-world scenarios to practice crafting and delivering challenger questions that teach, tailor, and challenge prospects.

  5. Evaluate Your Strengths and Gaps -

    Assess your quiz results to pinpoint areas where you excel or need improvement in using challenger questions effectively.

  6. Refine Your Sales Strategy -

    Develop actionable steps based on quiz feedback to enhance your challenger sales approach and boost overall performance.

Cheat Sheet

  1. The Five Sales Personas -

    CEB's landmark research identifies Relationship Builders, Hard Workers, Lone Wolves, Reactive Problem Solvers and Challengers as the core engagement styles; understanding these helps you tackle any challenger sales model questions about persona strengths and weaknesses. According to the Harvard Business Review (2011), Challengers win 40% more large B2B deals by reframing customer thinking. Mnemonic tip: "R-Ho-Lo-RP-C" (Relationship, Hard, Lone, Reactive, Challenger) for quick recall.

  2. The Challenger's Three T's -

    Successful Challengers excel at Teach, Tailor and Take Control - often called the "TLC" of modern selling (Dixon & Adamson, 2011). In quizzes on challenger sales questions, note that "Teach" means delivering unique insights, "Tailor" aligns to stakeholder priorities, and "Take Control" manages difficult conversations. Remember "TLC" to structure your approach in every scenario.

  3. Commercial Teaching Framework -

    Commercial Teaching is the art of sharing industry insights that challenge customer assumptions; cite facts like 60% of buyers acknowledge they've changed their perspective after a single enlightening conversation (CEB, 2012). Use a simple three-step outline - Insight, Impact, Implementation - to organize your teaching point. Example: "Most peers overspend 20% on X - here's how you can avoid that pitfall with Y."

  4. Tailoring for Stakeholder Alignment -

    Not all buyers think alike: map your messaging to economic buyers, technical champions and end users by focusing on their unique KPIs (Dixon & Toman, 2012). Create a scoring sheet with columns for ROI drivers, risk reduction and strategic impact - this helps answer challenger questions on customization. A quick memory hack is the "E-T-E" grid: Economic, Technical, End-user.

  5. Taking Control & Constructive Tension -

    Challengers aren't aggressive; they create constructive tension by guiding the sale and addressing objections head-on with data-driven questioning (Harvard Business Review, 2016). Practice the "Why Now?" framework: ask "Why is delaying this risky?" and "Why is acting now beneficial?" to steer buyers confidently. This approach pops up often in challenger sales model questions on objection handling.

Make a Quiz (FREE) Copy & Edit This Quiz Create a Quiz with AI

Marketing & Management Quizzes

Powered by: Quiz Maker