A champion is your advocate inside the buyer's company.
Key points
- A champion is part of the Buying Committee but is not necessarily the Decision Maker; their value is influence and access [2].
- The MEDDIC framework lists the champion as a required element of a qualified deal.
- Harvard Business Review's research on solution sales argues that the best reps seek out stakeholders who drive change, not just those who are friendly [1].
- With six to ten people in a typical buying group, someone has to coordinate agreement internally; that is often the champion [3].
- A good champion has a personal stake in the problem, credibility with colleagues and a willingness to spend political capital.
- Losing a champion to a job change is a common reason deals stall, so multi-threading across the committee is a safeguard [4].
What makes someone a champion
A champion is more than a friendly contact. They have a real problem your product solves, they believe your solution is the right answer, and they are willing to argue for it when you are not in the room. They also have enough credibility that colleagues listen. Harvard Business Review's article on the end of solution sales distinguishes stakeholders who can mobilize their organization from those who are merely accessible or talkative, and advises reps to focus on the former [1]. A useful test is to ask your contact to do something small, such as introducing a colleague or sharing internal criteria. A champion will; a pleasant non-champion will delay.
Champions and the buying committee
Because B2B decisions involve several people, someone inside the account must pull them together. Gartner's research reports six to ten decision makers in typical complex purchases, each with their own information and priorities [3]. The buying center model shows how these roles differ, from users to deciders to gatekeepers [2]. A champion helps you understand who plays which role, what each cares about and what the decision process looks like. Harvard Business Review's work on the new sales imperative adds that sellers should equip internal advocates with materials that help the group reach agreement, such as clear business cases and answers to likely objections [4].
Finding and supporting champions
In outbound, the champion is often the first person who replies with genuine interest, typically someone who feels the Pain Point daily. Treat that reply as the start of a relationship: ask about their goals, how decisions are made and who else should be involved. Then support them with what they need to sell internally, such as a short summary they can forward, Social Proof from similar companies, and help handling objections. Keep in touch after the sale; champions who move to new companies often bring you with them, which is one of the best sources of warm introductions and a natural moment for a Referral Ask.
Related terms
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