# Selling Style Self-Diagnostic — Reference

Source: The Challenger Sale (Dixon & Adamson), Appendix B
Purpose: A 10-statement self-assessment that scores a rep's Challenger capability across three subscales (Teach / Tailor / Take Control) and flags tendencies toward the other four selling profiles.

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## Instructions

For each statement below, rate how accurately it describes how you sell to your customers, using this scale:

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Strongly disagree |
| 2 | Disagree |
| 3 | Neutral |
| 4 | Agree |
| 5 | Strongly agree |

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## Statements

**Statement 1** (Profile flag: Relationship Builder)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you regularly form lasting, productive relationships with your customers — relationships that persist beyond individual transactions.

**Statement 2** (Challenger subscale: Teaches for Differentiation)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you are able to deliver genuinely new perspectives to customers — insights that shift how they think about their business and naturally connect to what you offer.

**Statement 3** (Challenger subscale: Teaches for Differentiation)
Rate your agreement with the idea that your product and industry knowledge goes well beyond what even an experienced buyer would possess, making you a credible expert in the sales conversation.

**Statement 4** (Profile flag: Lone Wolf)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you are willing to express your honest assessment of what is right for a customer even when doing so risks their disapproval.

**Statement 5** (Challenger subscale: Tailors for Resonance)
Rate your agreement with the idea that during negotiations you have a clear sense of what each customer values most, and you adapt your message and offer accordingly rather than delivering a standard pitch.

**Statement 6** (Challenger subscale: Tailors for Resonance)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you can identify the underlying business drivers — financial, operational, strategic — of your customers' organizations and use that understanding to shape your approach.

**Statement 7** (Profile flag: Reactive Problem Solver)
Rate your agreement with the idea that when a customer makes a request, you are the one who personally ensures it gets resolved, end-to-end, rather than delegating to others.

**Statement 8** (Challenger subscale: Takes Control)
Rate your agreement with the idea that in challenging or stalled sales situations, you feel at ease guiding the customer toward a commitment and decision rather than waiting for them to move on their own.

**Statement 9** (Challenger subscale: Takes Control)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you can engage comfortably and confidently in conversations about price, budget, and financial concerns with your customers, meeting them on their own terms.

**Statement 10** (Profile flag: Hard Worker)
Rate your agreement with the idea that you invest more time than your peers in preparation before every sales call or customer meeting.

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## Scoring Guide

### Challenger Subscale Scores

Calculate three subscale totals. Each subscale ranges from 2 (minimum) to 10 (maximum).

| Subscale | Statements to Add |
|---|---|
| **Teaches for Differentiation** | Statement 2 + Statement 3 |
| **Tailors for Resonance** | Statement 5 + Statement 6 |
| **Takes Control** | Statement 8 + Statement 9 |

### Threshold Interpretation (per subscale)

| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| **8 or above** | Strong Challenger behavior in this area. Continue pushing for ways to challenge customers' thinking in this dimension. |
| **5 to 7** | Solid foundation to build from. Identify a specific development focus within this subscale and begin pushing harder. |
| **4 or below** | This dimension represents new territory. Identify the behavior within it that feels most approachable and start development there. |

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## Profile Flag Interpretation

A high score (4 or 5) on Statements 1, 4, 7, or 10 signals a natural tendency toward one of the other four selling profiles. These are not disqualifiers — they identify areas where a rep has strong instincts outside the Challenger model.

| Statement | High score signals |
|---|---|
| Statement 1 | Relationship Builder tendencies |
| Statement 4 | Lone Wolf tendencies |
| Statement 7 | Reactive Problem Solver tendencies |
| Statement 10 | Hard Worker tendencies |

**Note:** A rep can show Challenger subscale strength AND a profile flag simultaneously. The goal is to develop all three Challenger subscales to 8+ while being aware of which non-Challenger behaviors are most natural.

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## Sample Score Interpretation

**Example Rep A:**
- Teaches for Differentiation: Q2=4, Q3=5 → Score **9** (Strong)
- Tailors for Resonance: Q5=3, Q6=4 → Score **7** (Foundation — develop further)
- Takes Control: Q8=2, Q9=3 → Score **5** (Foundation — develop further)
- Flag: Q1=5 (Relationship Builder tendency — may be defusing tension instead of holding it)

**Interpretation:** Rep A has strong teaching ability but is likely accommodating customers rather than pressing for decisions. Development priority: Take Control behaviors — specifically, comfort with money conversations and willingness to guide customers to commitments.

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## Usage Notes

- This is a self-report instrument. Self-assessments should be supplemented with manager observation or call review to validate.
- Do not use this diagnostic to label reps as "not a Challenger" permanently — it identifies current behavior patterns, not fixed capacity.
- When using for team profiling, aggregate subscale scores across the team to identify organization-level development priorities.
- High-performing reps are not automatically Challengers. Run the diagnostic before observing behaviors to codify — only ~40% of star performers are Challengers.