Economic shocks come in different forms; geopolitical crises, inflation spikes, supply chain disruption, shifting demand. The common thread is simple: buyers get cautious, budgets get tighter, and “not now” becomes the default answer.
When that happens, doing “more of the same” in sales is not enough. You need a way to reframe customer thinking, turn hidden risks into visible priorities, and create urgency where none exists. That is exactly where Challenger selling in a downturn comes in.
This article sets out how to use a Challenger approach specifically to maintain and even increase sales momentum in tougher markets, and what leaders must do to make it work.
What This Topic Really Means
In a downturn, Challenger selling is about leading the customer’s thinking, not just responding to existing demand. The goal is to:
- Take customers and prospects on a planned conversation journey that shows their business challenges in a new light.
- Help them see that these issues are not “background noise” but urgent commercial risks or missed opportunities.
- Build a solid business case that moves your offer from “nice to have” to “we cannot ignore this, even with tight budgets”.
You are not asking for spend because you want to hit target. You are showing that doing nothing has a cost and that cost is rising.
Research on “sales opportunity crafting” also helps explain why different salespeople approach the same downturn opportunity in very different ways. In his conceptual paper Sales Opportunity Crafting: Explaining Diverse Selling Approaches (Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University), Ganesh Kumar argues that salespeople either rely on pre-established routines or improvise by reshaping the task physically, cognitively, and relationally. The level of improvisation is driven by how they read the customer’s needs and the depth of their interaction. In a downturn, that means without a clear Challenger play, each salesperson will craft their own approach to opportunities with results that may or may not align with your overall strategy.
Why This Matters for Irish and United Kingdom Businesses
For Irish and United Kingdom organisations, downturns can bite quickly:
- Markets are relatively small; when key sectors slow, there are fewer alternative customers to pivot to.
- Buyers face strong internal pressure to freeze or defer projects, even when the underlying risk is growing.
- Traditional solution or relationship selling often stalls at “we agree it is interesting, but we have no budget this year.”
A clear Challenger selling approach helps you:
- Create opportunities outside the existing budget cycle by reframing priority and risk.
- Protect core revenue streams by showing customers why cutting or delaying your solution is a false economy.
- Give jaded sales teams a structured, proactive play instead of asking them to push harder with the same message.
Key Principles / Framework / Breakdown
1. Challenger Selling in a Downturn: The Core Moves
In a tougher market, Challenger selling focuses on six linked actions:
- Open with a new insight, not a generic pitch
Use a pre-prepared line of strategic questions and observations that makes the customer look at a part of their business in a different way. The aim is to expose an overlooked risk, inefficiency, or missed opportunity. - Use proof points to make it real
Bring specific examples, benchmarks, or short case studies that validate your argument and show this is not a theory. These proof points are the “evidence” that prompts the customer to take your challenge seriously. - Crystalise the business benefit
Ask targeted questions that help the customer articulate, in their own words, the commercial upside of addressing the issue; revenue protected, costs avoided, risks mitigated. - Contrast action versus inaction
Explicitly challenge the business impact of doing nothing compared with taking action. In downturns, this contrast is critical; status quo usually feels safe until the cost is properly examined. - Use hard metrics where possible
Introduce relevant business impact metrics {percentages, ranges, scenarios} to drive the message home. These do not have to be perfect, but they must be credible. - Convert momentum into a next step
Do not let the conversation end at “this is interesting”. Use the energy you have created to agree a clear next action: a workshop, a pilot, a deeper diagnostic, or a defined follow-up meeting.
A well-executed Challenger conversation in a downturn propels customer action instead of letting interest fade under budget pressure.
2. Developing the Business Case in Tough Times
The most challenging part of using Challenger in a downturn is building a sales argument that truly stands up when budgets are under scrutiny.
To stay honest and focused, test your proposed narrative against questions like these:
- Does it pass the “keeps me up at night” and “so what?” tests?
Would a senior decision maker genuinely lose sleep over this issue once it is fully exposed? If not, it will not survive a budget meeting. - Is this challenge currently being ignored or mishandled?
Are customers papering over the problem, absorbing the cost, or relying on inadequate workarounds? Challenger needs a gap between what is happening and what should be happening. - Are we a credible source of advice here?
Do you have the experience, data, or track record to speak about this challenge with authority? If not, your narrative will sound provocative but hollow.
If your answers are weak or vague, the Challenger play is not ready. In a downturn, a half-baked story will waste time and erode trust.
How Leaders Should Approach This
Challenger selling in a downturn cannot be delegated to a single enthusiastic salesperson. It requires leadership and structure.
Practical steps for leaders:
- Acknowledge the market reality openly
Be transparent with your team about the headwinds. You are not trying to “motivate” them out of a recession; you are giving them a better way to sell through it. - Sponsor one clear Challenger play first
Identify one problem area where you can credibly challenge; a customer risk, cost, or missed opportunity that is particularly acute in a downturn. Build the play there before expanding. - Involve cross-functional expertise
Bring together sales, product, finance, operations, and customer success to shape the narrative and the business case. Challenger is not just a sales script; it is an organisational storyline. - Equip the team with tools, not just theory
Provide question frameworks, proof point sheets, and simple business case templates so that reps can use the approach without reinventing it every time. - Coach in live opportunities
Use account reviews and deal coaching sessions to refine how Challenger is applied in real conversations, not just in workshops. Focus on the quality of questions and the strength of the business case.
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
- Using recession fear as manipulation
Overplaying doom to frighten customers into buying.
Fix: Base your narrative on real risks and data, and keep the tone commercially calm, not sensational. - Running Challenger as a side campaign
Treating it as a short-term initiative separate from your main sales process.
Fix: Integrate Challenger thinking into discovery, proposals, and account planning. - Underestimating the work involved
Expecting marketing to “knock out a Challenger deck” in a week.
Fix: Plan time for research, testing, refinement, and training. - Ignoring credibility questions
Challenging in areas where you lack track record.
Fix: Anchor your Challenger play where you genuinely add expertise and can prove impact. - Letting momentum die after the first meeting
Having a great provocative conversation and then reverting to standard follow-up.
Fix: Always link the Challenger conversation to a specific, agreed next action.
What Good Looks Like
When Challenger selling in a downturn is working, you will notice:
- More opportunities originating from your insight, not just inbound RFPs.
- Customers actively pushing internally for budget to address the issue you have highlighted.
- Fewer deals stuck at “we like it, but not this year”.
- Salespeople who can calmly explain the cost of inaction and the business logic of acting now, even in a tough economy.
- A sense of forward motion in the pipeline, rather than passive waiting for markets to improve.
In difficult conditions, you may not control the macro environment but you can control how you frame problems and create demand.
How Jordan Wolf Associates Helps
At Jordan Wolf Associates, we help organisations design and implement Challenger Sales Plays tailored specifically for downturn conditions.
We support clients through:
- Sales consultancy
Analysing your markets and customer base to identify where Challenger plays can genuinely unlock new or protected revenue during a slowdown. - Challenger play design
Co-creating the insight narrative, question flow, and business case for a targeted segment, with particular focus on budget-constrained buyers. - Training and enablement
Equipping your key revenue generators with the skills and tools to run Challenger conversations confidently in a more cautious buying environment. - Deal and account coaching
Working with sales leaders and reps on live opportunities to refine messaging, test proof points, and strengthen next actions. - Cross-border support
Helping teams selling into multiple regions adapt Challenger narratives to local market realities without diluting the core message.
Our aim is always the same: a practical, repeatable sales process that protects and grows revenue when conditions are at their toughest.
Get Your Free Consultation
If you want to explore how Challenger selling could help you maintain or increase sales momentum in a downturn, we are always happy to talk.
Email: gerard@jordanwolf.ie
Phone: +353 (1) 556 3049
Frequently Asked Questions on Challenger Selling in a Downturn
1. Is Challenger selling too aggressive for sensitive markets?
Not if it is done properly. The goal is to surface real risks and opportunities with evidence and respect, not to bully customers. Tone and credibility matter more than volume.
2. What if customers genuinely have no budget this year?
Challenger helps you clarify the true cost of delay. Sometimes the right outcome is to plan for next year; sometimes the numbers show they cannot afford to wait. The conversation becomes more honest either way.
3. Can we use Challenger alongside our existing sales methodology?
Yes. Challenger is best treated as a specific play for particular problems and segments, layered onto your existing qualification and closing process.
4. How do we avoid burning relationships when we challenge customers?
Anchor your challenge in concern for their results. Use data, examples, and questions rather than blunt assertions. You are on their side, not attacking their competence.
5. How long before we see results from a Challenger approach?
You may see early wins as soon as the first few conversations land. However, sustained impact comes as your narrative, proof points, and business case are refined through repeated use.
