How OMG’s 21 Core Competencies Power the Challenger Sale
Methodologies guide the “what.” Competencies determine the “whether.”
Why Challenger Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Success
The Challenger Sale earned its reputation for helping sellers reframe conversations, deliver insight, and create demand where buyers didn’t see it before.
But here’s the catch: Challenger assumes your team already has the skills, mindset, and resilience to execute it.
Most don’t—at least not consistently.
You can teach sellers to “teach, tailor, and take control,” but if they’re uncomfortable discussing money, lack the consultative skill to uncover real business drivers, or crumble under pressure, even the best framework won’t stick.
That’s where competencies come in.
OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies measure the specific skills, behaviors, and Sales DNA that make methodologies like Challenger work in the field, not just in training.
The Three Pillars Behind Every High-Performing Challenger Seller
Objective Management Group doesn’t evaluate style or approach. OMG measure capability. The 21 Core Competencies group into three pillars that directly support the Challenger model:
- Tactical Selling Competencies – the observable skills that drive daily execution (qualifying, selling value, closing).
- Sales DNA – the beliefs and mindsets that determine whether sellers can apply what they know under pressure.
- Will to Sell – the drive, commitment, and personal accountability that sustain performance.
Each pillar reinforces the Challenger mindset, just with measurable precision.
Where OMG Competencies Align with Challenger
Challenger Capability | Supporting OMG Competencies | Why It Matters |
Teach – Deliver new insights that reframe buyer thinking | Consultative Selling, Selling Value, and Comfort Discussing Money | Challenger sellers must surface unrecognized problems and quantify impact. Without the ability to ask provocative questions or push past surface-level issues, “insight” becomes information, not influence. |
Tailor – Personalize the message to the buyer’s context | Building Relationships, Reaching Decision Makers, Presentation Approach | Tailoring requires business acumen and access. Sellers who can’t reach senior stakeholders or adapt to different motivations end up pitching, not challenging. |
Take Control – Lead the conversation with confidence | Qualifying, Closing, Handling Rejection, and Commitment Competency | Challenger’s power lies in constructive tension. That takes confidence, resilience, and a strong comfort money, understanding how your customers buy, and keeping their buying process aligned with your sales process—behaviors grounded in OMG’s Sales DNA and Sales Process competency. |
Why Methodology Fails Without Competency
When Challenger implementations fall flat, it’s rarely a content problem—it’s a capability problem.
- They know what to do—but not how to do it. Training can teach the idea of “reframing the conversation,” but without a strong Consultative Selling competency, sellers lack the ability to ask the tough, insight-driven questions that make that reframe meaningful. OMG data shows that only 15% of sellers are truly proficient in this skill.
- They can say the words, but not sustain the conversation. Without Comfort Discussing Money or Rejection Resilience, even confident sellers avoid necessary tension—precisely where Challenger thrives.
In short: you can’t take control if you can’t stay in control.
The Data Behind the Difference
OMG’s global data from the 75,000+ salespeople they evaluate each year show that top performers consistently outperform the rest across Tactical Skills, Sales DNA, and Will to Sell. In fact, according to OMG’s assessment data, top performers are 4 times more likely to exceed the expected win rate. In a nutshell, it’s not the framework that drives results. It’s the person using it.
What to Do Next
If your team has invested in Challenger—or any methodology—use competencies to close the execution gap.
- Assess before you assume. Benchmark your team against OMG’s 21 Core Competencies to pinpoint capability gaps that block adoption.
- Coach the behaviors, not just the steps. Align development plans around the competencies that enable “teach,” “tailor,” and “take control.”
- Measure what matters. Track progress in real selling behavior—confidence, consistency, and control—rather than just CRM activity or methodology checkboxes.
The Takeaway
The Challenger Sale gives your team a playbook. OMG’s 21 Core Competencies ensure they can actually run the plays.
Together, they don’t just teach your team what to say. They build the precision, mindset, and drive to say it with conviction.