--- title: Exclusive Preview of The Challenger Customer | The Sales Blog description: Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson from CEB have provided you with solid research around consensus and stakeholders in their new book, The Challenger Customer. image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2015-09-17-at-11_05_49-AM.png --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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I have written about them here since 2009. One of those challenges is the [difficulty](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2014/01/28/on-latent-dissatisfaction-and-dissatisfaction/) we face in building a compelling case for change when the [status quo](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/02/28/the-status-quo-the-most-dangerous-threat-to-your-deal/) is so deeply entrenched in the companies we pursue. Another challenge is the increasing number of [stakeholders](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2011/06/15/there-is-no-power-sponsor-there-are-power-sponsors/) involved in a deal. I’ve written about how [receptive contacts are a trap](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2010/12/30/the-receptivity-trap/). And I have also written about how you are looking for [the CEO of the Problem](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/05/07/the-ceo-of-the-problem/), someone who is compelled to change things. But my evidence that these things are true comes from field work, not research. My friends, [Matt Dixon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdixonceb), [Brent Adamson](https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAkAAAAJltIBd5mH5-Z71ZqyLqap9LgG-Qyi20Y&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=2_W4&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A628434%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1442502190474%2Ctas%3Abrent%20adamson), Pat Spenner, and Nick Toman from CEB have now provided you with the research. Their research shows that you need a change agent, someone they call the Mobilizer. It also shows that you need to know how they build consensus within their company. Most of all, their new book addresses the need to help the stakeholders make trade-offs. Even though all generalizations are lies, many of them are very useful. It’s useful to know that the conflicts that kill deals happen when buyers are 37% through their buying process. I know exactly when that happens because I have seen it first hand. You do great discovery, you start forming a solution to a real root cause problem, and then the knives come out and the defenders of the status quo give your deal the same treatment that a bunch of Roman Senators gave Julius Caesar. And, of course, [you need to teach](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2015/08/24/this-should-be-keeping-you-up-at-night/). I am excited about this book because I believe it is going to help salespeople and sales organizations understand the changing world of sales that we live in, and it provides a useful frame for thinking about what good salesmanship looks like now . . . and in the future. Watch the video above, here exclusively until next week. Here is link to The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Invisible Influencers Who Can Multiply Your Results on CEB’s website. Here is a link to [the book on Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Customer-Selling-Influencer-Multiply/dp/1591848156/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=).   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [Books](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/books) [2015](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2015) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on September 17, 2015 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. [![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/c9f553be-fbba-4813-9199-95c1603472e7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/c9f553be-fbba-4813-9199-95c1603472e7) ## Are You Ready To Solve Your Sales Challenges? ![Anthony-Solve-Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthony-Solve-Sales.png?width=290&height=221&name=Anthony-Solve-Sales.png) Hi, I’m Anthony. I help sales teams make the changes needed to create more opportunities & crush their sales targets. What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-06-15T6:38:02 PM", "datePublished" : "2015-09-17 11:46:11", "description" : "Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson from CEB have provided you with solid research around consensus and stakeholders in their new book, The Challenger Customer.", "headline" : "Exclusive Preview of The Challenger Customer", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 16, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/Image/favicon.ico", "width" : 16 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/exclusive-preview-of-the-challenger-customer", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "Exclusive Preview of The Challenger Customer", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 24, "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/TSB/images/TSB%20Logo%20Dark.svg", "width" : 228 }, "name" : "The Sales Blog" } } ```