SNAP vs. Challenger: Picking the Right Strategy to Win Your Next Deal

Max Gayler

November 25, 2024

Remote Works

Imagine this: you’re on a call with a potential buyer who’s juggling emails, a looming deadline, and probably a lukewarm cup of coffee. Do you keep it simple, align with their priorities, and move fast? Or do you throw them a curveball, challenge their assumptions, and guide them toward a solution they didn’t even know they needed?

That’s the heart of SNAP vs. Challenger—two powerful sales frameworks built for different kinds of buyers and situations. Let’s break them down to find the perfect fit for your next deal.

Key Takeaways

SNAP Selling is designed for today’s fast-paced buyers, focusing on simplicity, alignment with priorities, and speed—perfect for short sales cycles and overwhelmed decision-makers.
The Challenger Sale redefines buyer perspectives with insights and assertive guidance, making it ideal for competitive environments and high-stakes deals requiring a strategic push.
Choosing between SNAP vs. Challenger depends on your sales cycle: SNAP thrives on efficiency, while Challenger excels at reshaping buyer thinking and creating urgency.

Why Choose a Sales Framework?

Before we get into the details of SNAP vs. Challenger, let’s address a key question: why bother with a sales framework at all? It might sound like another buzzword, but frameworks exist for a reason—they work.

A study by the Sales Management Association found that companies with a defined sales process are 33% more likely to hit high-performance benchmarks. Frameworks like SNAP and Challenger provide that structure, keeping your team aligned, simplifying onboarding, and—yes—making your revenue projections more reliable.

Here’s what frameworks bring to the table:

Consistency: Everyone follows the same game plan, minimizing guesswork.
Efficiency: Clear guidance on what to ask and when saves time for everyone.
Scalability: Training new hires becomes faster and more straightforward.
Predictability: Better processes lead to more accurate forecasts.

What is SNAP?

Created by Jill Konrath, SNAP is a methodology designed for simplicity and speed. In a time when buyers are overwhelmed with options, SNAP helps you stand out by focusing on what’s essential for the buyer.

SNAP stands for:

Simple: Keep the sales process straightforward, removing any unnecessary complexity.
iNvaluable: Position your solution as essential to the prospect’s success.
Align: Make sure the solution matches the prospect’s primary objectives.
Priorities: Emphasize the prospect’s urgent needs and priorities.

With SNAP, the goal is to stay out of the weeds and focus on what will drive a quick decision. It’s particularly effective for transactional sales and situations where the prospect may feel rushed or distracted.

Pros of SNAP

Buyer-Focused: SNAP keeps the focus on what’s essential for the prospect.
Quick Implementation: It’s simple to learn and easy to apply.
Efficient: SNAP minimizes delays by addressing the prospect’s primary needs directly.

Cons of SNAP

Limited Depth: For complex deals, SNAP may lack the detail needed to close.
Less Strategic: Compared to Challenger, SNAP doesn’t dig as deeply into decision processes or internal champions.
Not Ideal for Long Cycles: For multi-stage, high-value deals, SNAP might be too lightweight.

When to Use SNAP

If you’re handling short sales cycles, straightforward solutions, or high-velocity environments, SNAP is a powerful tool. It’s particularly useful for selling transactional products, where quick decisions are key.

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What is Challenger?

The Challenger Sales methodology, introduced by CEB (now part of Gartner), is built on the idea that top-performing reps don’t just follow the customer’s lead—they challenge their assumptions and introduce fresh perspectives. Challenger sellers bring insight and often a bit of constructive friction to the conversation, compelling prospects to see things differently.

Challenger sellers are proactive in three main ways:

Teach: They introduce insights that teach the customer something new.
Tailor: They personalize their approach to resonate with the customer’s values and pain points.
Take Control: They lead the conversation assertively, guiding the customer through the decision process without being overly accommodating.

Pros of Challenger

Value-Oriented Insight: Challengers bring unique perspectives that differentiate their offering.
Assertive Process Control: By controlling the conversation, Challenger sellers are well-suited for environments where customers need help defining their needs.
Effective for Commoditized Markets: Challenger works well in markets where the primary differentiator is the approach rather than the product.

Cons of Challenger

Requires Deep Product and Market Knowledge: To teach and tailor effectively, reps need a comprehensive understanding of the industry and product.
High Confidence and Skill Required: Challengers can come off as aggressive if not well-trained, potentially damaging relationships.
Not Ideal for Collaborative Buyers: Challenger can be a poor fit when the buyer values a more consultative approach.

When to Use Challenger

The Challenger approach works best when prospects are entrenched in the status quo and need a fresh perspective to see your solution’s value. It’s also useful in fast-paced sales cycles where the competitive landscape is saturated, and sellers need to stand out with a unique approach.

SNAP vs Challenger: A Direct Comparison

SNAP vs Challenger Comparison Table

Criteria	SNAP	Challenger
Best For	Fast-paced, transactional sales where simplicity and speed are key	High-value, competitive sales requiring differentiation and strategic influence
Primary Focus	Simplifying the buying process and aligning with buyer priorities	Reframing buyer assumptions and leading them to a new perspective
Sales Cycle Length	Short to moderate	Moderate to long
Decision Complexity	Low to moderate	High; often involves addressing resistance to change
Pros	Buyer-centric, easy to implement, and quick to align with priorities	Creates urgency, differentiates with insights, and builds long-term value
Cons	Can oversimplify and may miss deeper buyer challenges	Requires skilled reps and can feel pushy if poorly executed
Ideal Reps	Agile sellers skilled in aligning quickly with buyer needs	Assertive reps with strong industry expertise and strategic thinking
Training Requirements	Low to moderate; focuses on alignment and simplicity	High; emphasizes insight development and confident communication
CRM Integration	Fields for buyer priorities and decision factors	Track objections, reframing opportunities, and shared insights

How to Implement SNAP or Challenger

1. Train Your Team

SNAP Selling: Focus on delivering concise messaging, aligning with buyer priorities, and role-playing scenarios to practice simplicity.
Challenger Sale: Train reps to develop insights, lead conversations assertively, and personalize pitches for buyer needs.

2. Configure Your CRM

SNAP: Add fields for buyer priorities and quick follow-ups.
Challenger: Track reframing opportunities, insights, and buyer objections.

3. Pilot and Scale

Test the framework with a small team, measure performance, and refine before rolling it out company-wide.
Using tools like Claap allows your Account Executives to get an automatic breakdown after each sales call telling them how they performed based on any sales framework you want.

How Can I Start Using SNAP or Challenger Sales in My Team?

SNAP or Challenger sound like something right up your street? Let’s get you set up.

There are a number of ways for you and your sales team to start investing in the SNAP or Challenger sales methodology.

The easiest way is by signing up to Claap. This tool records all your sales calls, gives you an AI summary along with a word-for-word transcript of everything that was said. You can even record quick video clips to send to your prospects and keep them engaged.

Each of your call recordings even comes with a coaching tab so you can get a SNAP/Challenger breakdown of every call to make sure you’re completing the framework and maximizing your conversion.

You can even get a complete view of all your deals and see which steps of SNAP/Challenger have been completed between all the calls you have with prospects.

You can get a 14-day FREE trial right now (no credit card required).

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