The challenger sale (Penguin Books)

In The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson share the secret to sales success: don't just build relationships with customers. Challenge them What's the secret to sales success? If you're like most business leaders, you'd say it's fundamentally about relationships - and you'd be wrong.

The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. They challenge them. Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson, and their colleagues at CEB have studied the performance of thousands of sales reps worldwide.

And what they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in decades. The Challenger Sale argues that classic relationship-building is the wrong approach. Every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct profiles, and while all of these types of reps can deliver average performance, only one - the Challenger - delivers consistently high performance.

Instead of bludgeoning customers with facts and features, Challengers approach customers with insights about how they can save or make money. They tailor their message to the customer's specific needs.

They are assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale.Any sales rep, once equipped with the right tools, can drive higher levels of customer loyalty and, ultimately, greater growth.

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson are managing directors with CEB's Sales Executive Council in Washington, D.C.