What Is Champion?
An internal advocate at the prospect organization who actively sells your solution to other stakeholders, built through technical credibility and trust.
A champion is not just someone who likes your product. A real champion has influence inside their organization, understands the internal politics, and is willing to spend their own political capital to push your deal forward. They attend meetings you are not in and argue your case when objections come up.
Champions are built, not found. SEs create champions by solving real problems during discovery and POC phases. When you help someone look good in front of their leadership, they become invested in your success. The relationship is mutual: you make them the hero internally, and they give you access to stakeholders, budget information, and competitive intelligence.
Why It Matters for SEs
Deals without a champion close at dramatically lower rates. The MEDDPICC framework lists Champion as one of its core qualification criteria for this reason. An SE who cannot identify or build a champion in a deal is flying blind through the buying committee.
Champions also reduce wasted effort. A good champion tells you when a deal is dead before you invest another 40 hours in it. They warn you about competing priorities, budget freezes, and internal politics that would otherwise blindside you.
How SEs Use This
Test your champion early. Ask them to do something small but meaningful: introduce you to another stakeholder, share internal evaluation criteria, or confirm the timeline. If they cannot or will not do these things, they are a coach at best, not a champion.
Arm your champion with materials they can use internally. Battlecards they can reference, one-pagers for their boss, ROI summaries for finance. Make it easy for them to sell on your behalf. The less work they have to do, the more likely they are to do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you identify a champion?
A real champion has three qualities: access to the decision-making process, influence with other stakeholders, and willingness to advocate for your solution. Test each quality by asking them to take small actions like making introductions or sharing internal requirements.
What is the difference between a champion and a coach?
A coach gives you information about the organization and the deal. A champion actively advocates for your solution. Coaches are helpful but passive. Champions spend political capital on your behalf. Many deals have coaches but no champion.
Can you have multiple champions in one deal?
Yes, and for complex enterprise deals, multiple champions across different functions strengthen your position. A technical champion and a business champion covering different parts of the buying committee is a strong combination.