Revenue: $7B
Employees: 109K

Client Challenge

Xerox wanted to deliver a new market strategy for its largest direct-selling organization, US Client Operations, to sell higher-value service-based solutions to large enterprises. As part of its new services-focused go-to-market strategy, Xerox faced increasing complexity in the interactions that salespeople had with clients. A lack of management training, a numbers-over-skills focus, and unfamiliarity with complex enterprise deals were causing Xerox to offer customers an uninspired sales experience.

Solution

Xerox rolled out Challenger sales methodology across the US Client Operations sales team of over 1,000 sellers and 150 sales managers. The organization embraced Challenger to address these issues and taught managers to be better coaches, to identify and cultivate Challenger behaviors, and to innovate in order to move deals through the pipeline. This innovation revolved around challenging customers with valuable commercial insights to teach them something about their business that they had never known before.

Previously, Xerox sold on one key product feature: generating 90% less waste than laser printing. But with Challenger’s help, Xerox identified what customers actually care about most: improving student learning by investing in interactive learning tools and scalable customization of lesson plans and materials.

Going further, Xerox discovered that digital technology is resetting students’ expectations, causing a decline in attention and interest when information is delivered in black and white. This uncovered an invisible truth that transformed how they sold to customers: color enhances learning. In fact, research showed that 77% of students agree color boosts focus, interest, and memory.
From there, it was easy to show customers the importance of access to color printing in the classroom.

Results:

Xerox redefined success when it challenged customers to see the benefits of color materials in student performance, not the cost of printers and ink. The company’s sales interactions started producing astonishing results.

  • 17% increase in sales 
  • 100% increase in coaching time
  • 50% increase in quality of coaching effectiveness 
  • 90% of participants cited overall performance improvement 3 months after rollout
  • $65 million in contract value attributed to Challenger skills

Quotes

“The Challenger Sale speaks to the core of how we’re engaging with our clients. We want our salesforce to deliver insight and value, not sales pitches. That’s why our entire organization is being trained on the skills and behaviors that make Challengers successful.”

Kevin Warren, President, US Client Operations

Quotes

“The Challenger Sale speaks to the core of how we’re engaging with our clients. We want our salesforce to deliver insight and value, not sales pitches. That’s why our entire organization is being trained on the skills and behaviors that make Challengers successful.”

Kevin Warren, President, US Client Operations

Before Challenger

  • Our leading-edge, cartridge-free technology produces 90% less waste than laser.

After Challenger

  • I’d like to talk to you about the impact of color on student performance.