In The Challenger Customer, CEB research identifies the Mobilizer customer as a critical player on the buyer panel. Engaging and challenging this individual is crucial to your deal’s success.

1. The Challenger Customer:
How to Identify and Engage
the Right Customers
Justin Shriber
Head of Marketing
LinkedIn Sales Solutions
Brent Adamson
Principal Executive Advisor
CEB

2. Tapping into Social Media is Becoming the Norm
Use Social Selling to build and nurture relationships
Say social selling tools are “important” or “very
important” for closing deals
71%
83%
90% Of top sales people use social selling tools,
compared with 71% of all sales professionals
Source: 2016 LinkedIn survey of US Sales and Business Development Professionals; n=1017

3. An Introduction to
The Challenger Customer
Brent Adamson @brentadamson

4. n = 3,000.
0%
50%
100%
81%
55%
53%
31%
1 2 3 4 5 6+
Size of Buying Team
60%
Purchase
Likelihood
60%
5.4
Average Buying
Group Size
Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases

5. Stakeholder 1
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 2
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 3
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
The Lowest Common Denominator

6. The Teacher The BlockerThe ClimberThe Guide
The Go-Getter The FriendThe Skeptic
Seven Types of Customer Stakeholders

7. Mobilizer™ Customers Get the Deal Done
Highly
Likely
Highly
Unlikely
1.0x
0.89x
0.66x
0.23x
-0.20x -0.22x
-0.95x
LikelihoodtoDrive
OrganizationalAction
n = 717.
Source: CEB analysis.
“Mobilizer Customers” “Talkers”
The Go-
Getter
The
Teacher
The
Skeptic
The
Guide
The
Friend
The
Climber
The
Blocker

8. 1. Identify Mobilizer Customers, not “Customer Champions”
2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership
3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change
What Now?

9. Finding Mobilizers

10. 1. Identify Mobilizers versus “Champions”
2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership
3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change
What Now?

11. 0.013
(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)
MagnitudeofDriverImpact
Representing a Smart/
Expert Perspective
Being Easy to
Understand
Containing
Interesting
Facts or
Anecdotes
Being
Accessible/
Quick to
Find
Non-Statistically Significant Drivers
Drivers of Changing a Customer’s Purchase Path

12. Statistically Significant Drivers
0.302
0.013
(0.047) (0.096) (0.132)
MagnitudeofDriverImpact
0.446
Teaching Customer
Something New
about Their
Business Needs/
Challenges
Providing the
Customer with
Compelling
Reasons to Take
Action
Representing a Smart/
Expert Perspective
Being Easy to
Understand
Containing
Interesting
Facts or
Anecdotes
Being
Accessible/
Quick to
Find
Non-Statistically Significant Drivers
Drivers of Changing a Customer’s Purchase Path

13. Current
Beliefs/Behavior
Desired
Beliefs/Behavior
A B
Break down the “A,” then Build up the “B”

14. 1. Identify Mobilizers versus “Champions”
2. Engage Mobilizers with Commercial Insight, not Thought Leadership
3. Equip Mobilizers to Coach Customers toward Collective Change
What Now?

15. Customer Coaches the Rep Rep Coaches the Customer
Core Rep Engagement Strategy Star Rep Engagement Strategy
1. Understand stakeholders’ goals
2. Determine criteria for purchase
3. Understand stakeholders’ relation to
each other
1. Arm the customer to teach
2. Help buyers build consensus
3. Help customers understand purchase
process
How to Engage Mobilizers

17. Sales and Marketing can tag team on content
Reps post insightful content…. …and buyers engage

18. CEB equips organizations through best practices, tools,
and implementation support to:
• Source, assess and develop ChallengerTM sellers
• Develop sales talent to engage MobilizerTM customers
• Create Commercial Insights
• Drive efficiency and impact through sales enablement
Linkedin Sales Navigator is a stand-alone, premium
version of LinkedIn, specifically designed to help you:
• Identify and focus on the right people and companies
• Leverage your network for warm introductions
• Stay informed on key account updates
• Build trust with your prospects and customers
For more information,
please visit:
ChallengerCustomer.com
For more information,
please visit:
sales.linkedin.com