Solution Selling vs. Challenger Selling: Which is Best for Your Team?

Solution selling vs Challenger selling—who wins the battle in today’s sales world?

The idea of selling solutions was created in the 1980s, but does that make it old? Challenger selling has a much newer birthdate, made famous in the 2010s. But does that make it a more "modern" way of selling?

With so many selling models, how do you know which is best for your process, your leads, and your company?

Let’s compare these two popular sales methodologies. You’re about to learn:

• What is solution selling?
• What is Challenger selling?
• Solution selling vs Challenger selling: how are they different at a glance?
• Closing the sale: when to use solution and when to use challenger

What is Solution Selling?

The solution selling model is all about building relationships and being truly helpful. It focuses on the why rather than the what—selling based on the problems being solved rather than the product for sale.

This selling model works best for businesses selling a complex product or a plan structure that needs to be adapted to each prospective customer.

The downside to solution selling: It doesn’t take into account the fact that now, most buyers are more than halfway through their journey to purchase by the time they start talking to a rep.

What is Challenger Selling?

In a world where buyers have access to more information than ever during the buying process, reps using the challenger model gain respect and trust by giving the prospect information they didn’t know, presenting their solution as an out-of-the-box way to solve their problems.

Challengers have a deep understanding of their customers' businesses and industries and encourage prospects to step outside their comfort zones. They challenge long-held beliefs with new ways of solving old problems. They are more than sales reps—they’re guides and coaches.

The downside of solution selling: It can be easy to slip into the trap of ‘telling is selling,’ trying to force prospects to choose your solution with a bold, aggressive pitch that scares them off rather than convincing them.

Solution Selling vs. Challenger Selling: How are They Different at a Glance?

In simple terms, what are the main differences between solution selling and Challenger selling?

Closing the Sale: When to Use Solution and When to Use Challenger

Choosing the right sales model for your business and your team depends entirely on the type of solution you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.

No one can tell you that solution selling or Challenger selling is a better model in general. Anyone who does is probably trying to sell you something.

Each method has its pros and cons, but there is a critical key for both: whether you’re using the solution selling or Challenger selling model, you need to adapt those methods to your customers, your team, and the times we’re living in.

Here’s how these sales models can work in different parts of the sales process.

Qualifying

With both of these sales methodologies, it’s essential to understand the prospect's needs. Once you’ve established that this prospect would be a good fit for your product with basic discovery questions, the two models start to deviate:

With solution: Solution selling is all about digging deeper into the challenges of your prospect and finding the right solution. With this model, reps act as consultants, helping prospects better understand their own needs and the solutions that will fit them best.

With challenger: Challengers also need to understand the problems their prospects are facing, but at this stage, the rep must establish their expertise in the field. They prove they’re an expert in solving the prospect's problems by reiterating them. Then, they push the prospect to shift their mindset to a solution they may not have considered, evoking curiosity.

Pitch

Once the rep decides this is a qualified prospect, it’s time to pitch their solution. Whether this is done in a sales meeting, a product demo, or a video call with stakeholders, the methods here are pretty different:

With solution: A solution selling pitch is almost 100 percent personalized to the individual prospect. At this point, the rep has a deep understanding of the prospect's needs and can tailor their pitch to explain the specific value the prospect will see when they purchase the product.

With challenger: Using real industry data and experiences, the rep uses questions to help the prospect challenge misconceptions about their problems. The rep talks from a position of authority and expertise, acting as a peer in the industry who is willing to arm their prospect with insider knowledge. They use this approach to reframe the problem and possible solutions, leading to the obvious choice—the product they’re selling.

Negotiation and Close

Negotiating terms and closing the sale are the final aspects of the process. Here’s how these two models handle this dealbreaker stage:

With solution: At this stage, the rep uses questions to help the prospect imagine a world with their product. They build a narrative around the solution and negotiate openly to find the right solution for the prospect.

With challenger: A challenger negotiates confidently, with a take-it-or-leave-it approach. They’re willing to get up and walk away from the deal, which gives them power. They build narratives around real customer stories that pull at underlying emotions.

The typical baselines of these stories are fear of missing out and fear of failure. By the time a challenger gets close, they have positioned their product as the obvious solution to the problem their prospect is facing.

Choosing the Right Sales Model for Your Team and Your Market

If you want someone to tell you which sales model you should use, you’re in the wrong place.

You can’t be dogmatic about which sales model is "the best." Each sales methodology—including solution selling and Challenger selling—has its pros and cons. Each model has valuable aspects, and ultimately, it will depend on the people you’re selling to.

The best thing you can do is learn about the different selling models and be prepared to react according to the prospect's needs.

Are you chatting with a prospect who is willing to be challenged? Do they enjoy debating industry best practices? Are they open to hearing and experimenting with new ideas? Then, the challenger model could work very well.

But the opposite is also true—if your prospect is set in their ways and unwilling to hear another opinion, the challenger model could backfire.

The point is this: Know your market. Know your customers. And know yourself.

Then, you’ll be able to choose the right model for you and the people you’re selling to.

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