Sales glossary
Champion in sales: what it means and how to find one
Champion: A person inside the customer's organisation who wants your solution to succeed and helps you understand and move their internal decision process.
In B2B sales, a champion is someone inside the customer's organisation who wants your solution to win and is willing to act on it. They explain how decisions are really made, warn you about obstacles and argue your case in meetings you are not invited to.
The term comes up most in MEDDIC, where Champion is the last letter, but any deal with more than one decision maker needs one.
Champion or friendly contact?
- A champion has influence. People listen to them when the budget is discussed.
- A champion has a personal reason for the change: a target, a frustration, a project they own.
- A champion does things: books the next meeting, shares the internal criteria, introduces you to the economic buyer.
- A friendly contact takes your calls and says it sounds great, but nothing moves when you are not in the room.
How to test it on a call
Ask for something small that only an insider can give: an introduction, the name of the person who will review the contract, an honest view of the competing option. A real champion says yes or explains why not. A contact who answers "let me check" every time is useful, but not your champion yet.
When your champion leaves
Champions change jobs. If one person holds the whole deal, you are one resignation away from starting over. Build a second relationship early, and ask your champion to help you do it.
Lines you can say on the phone
If you were in my position, who would you want to speak to next?
What would make this a win for you personally, not just for the team?
When this goes to your director, which objections do you expect?
Would you be comfortable introducing me to the person who signs off on this?
Common mistakes
- Calling someone a champion because they were enthusiastic on the first call.
- Asking a champion to sell for you without giving them anything to use: a short summary, the figures their boss will ask for, answers to likely objections.
- Going around your champion to reach their boss without telling them.
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