A real champion is developed through four stages. Most AEs stop at Stage 1 and call it a champion. Don't.
🏆
MEDDPICC research: Deals with an active, credible champion close at 4× the rate of deals without one. The champion is the #1 leading indicator of deal outcome — more predictive than any other MEDDPICC element.
1
IDENTIFY
2
TEST
3
DEVELOP
4
ACTIVATE
🔍 Stage 1: Identify — Is This Really a Champion?
⚠️
A contact ≠ a champion. A coach ≠ a champion. Most "champions" are friendly contacts who have no internal credibility or willingness to fight for your deal. Test before you trust.
A Real Champion Has ALL THREE:
${[['Power & Credibility','They have influence with the Economic Buyer and are respected in the organization. Their recommendation carries weight.'],['Willingness to Sell Internally','They are willing to advocate for you in meetings you\'re not in. Passive support is not championship.'],['Personal Win','They have a personal reason to want this to succeed — their metrics, their visibility, their team\'s pain. Without this, their support is academic.']].map(([title, desc]) => `
✓ ${title}
${desc}
`).join('')}
These Are NOT Champions:
${[['The Friendly Contact','They take your calls, like your product, and are pleasant in meetings. But they won\'t go to bat for you internally.'],['The Enthusiast','They love the idea but have no authority. They can\'t get you a meeting with the EB and they\'re not in the budget conversation.'],['The Informant','They give you insider information but don\'t want to be associated with the purchase decision. Self-preservation overrides advocacy.'],['The Coach','They tell you how to navigate the organization but have personal reasons not to champion (political, career risk, relationship with EB).']].map(([title, desc]) => `
✗ ${title}
${desc}
`).join('')}
🧪 Stage 2: Test — Will They Actually Fight for You?
Before you call someone a champion, test them with progressively larger requests. A real champion passes these tests. A contact fails.
The Champion Tests — In Order:
${[
{num:'T1',level:'Easy',test:'Ask them to share your case study or one-pager with one other stakeholder.',signal:'If they do it without being asked twice — good sign. If they forget or "can\'t find the right time" — weak signal.'},
{num:'T2',level:'Medium',test:'Ask them to give you 10 minutes of intel before your next executive meeting — who\'s skeptical, what the EB cares about this week.',signal:'A real champion gives you real insider information. A contact gives you generic advice.'},
{num:'T3',level:'Hard',test:'Ask them to set up a meeting with the Economic Buyer — with them present.',signal:'A real champion makes the intro. A contact says "let me think about the best way to do this" and never follows through.'},
{num:'T4',level:'Critical',test:'Ask them to make the case internally for moving forward — in a meeting you\'re not in.',signal:'A real champion presents your ROI model to their boss. A contact says "I support it" when directly asked but doesn\'t drive it.'}
].map(t => `
${t.num}: ${t.test}${t.level}
${t.signal}
`).join('')}
Interpreting the Results:
Passes T1-T4 → Real Champion
Invest in developing this relationship. They will be your path to the EB and your deal insurance policy.
Passes T1-T2, Fails T3 → Strong Contact
Valuable intel source. But don't count on them to close the deal. Find a champion above or alongside them.
Fails T1-T2 → Contact Only
Don't waste time developing this relationship. Find someone else. This deal is single-threaded and fragile.
No One Passes T1 → Danger
You don't have a champion. You have a dead deal. Surface this in your next MEDDPICC review immediately.
🔨 Stage 3: Develop — Build Their Capability & Confidence
Your champion may want to support you but not know how. Your job is to make them the most informed, prepared internal advocate possible.
What to Give Your Champion:
${[['A one-page business case','Formatted for internal sharing — your ROI model in language that works for their audience. They should be able to email this directly to the EB.'],['Objection prep','Brief them on the top 3 objections they\'ll face internally and the best response to each. Role-play it with them.'],['Executive-ready talking points','A 60-second summary of why this is a priority, why now, and why your solution — in their voice, not yours.'],['Proof points specific to their org','A reference customer who is eerily similar to their company. A data point that directly addresses their CFO\'s likely objection.'],['The political map','Help them understand who else they need to bring along — and how to do it — before they go to the EB.']].map(([title, desc]) => `
📌 ${title}
${desc}
`).join('')}
Champion Development Conversations:
${['"What does your boss care most about right now? Help me make sure our business case speaks to that."','"Who else do you think we need to bring along before this can move forward? Let\'s map it out together."','"What\'s the hardest question you\'ll get internally about this? Let me help you think through the answer."','"If you were presenting this to [EB] tomorrow, what would you lead with? Let\'s practice."','"What do you need from me to feel fully confident making this recommendation internally?"'].map(q => `
"${q}"
`).join('')}
🚀 Stage 4: Activate — Help Them Sell Without You in the Room
🏆
The ultimate test of a champion: they sell for you in meetings you're not in. If you're only advancing the deal when you're personally present, you don't have a champion.
Activation Signals — Your Champion Is Active When They...
${['Bring up your solution in executive meetings without being prompted','Share your materials with stakeholders you haven\'t met','Alert you to shifts in internal sentiment before you ask','Advocate for your timeline when the EB pushes back','Report back on internal conversations with specific quotes','Proactively set up meetings with stakeholders on your behalf','Push back on competitor information circulating internally'].map(s=>`
✓${s}
`).join('')}
Champion Maintenance — After They're Active:
${[{act:'Weekly check-in',desc:'A 10-minute call or message — not to push, but to ask "what\'s the internal temperature?" They should feel like a partner, not a resource.'},
{act:'First to know',desc:'Give your champion new information before it goes to anyone else. Make them feel privileged. They become your best source of intel.'},
{act:'Protect them',desc:'Never put your champion in a position where advocating for you creates political risk. If the deal gets risky, tell them before it goes sideways.'},
{act:'Celebrate their wins',desc:'When this succeeds, make sure the champion gets visible credit internally. Their reputation went up because of this. That\'s your bond.'},
{act:'Stay in touch after the deal',desc:'Champions become your best future references, expansion advocates, and the source of your next deal. The relationship doesn\'t end at signature.'}
].map(c=>`
${c.act}
${c.desc}
`).join('')}
Champion Health Check
Score your champion across 8 dimensions to get an objective health assessment. Use this in every weekly pipeline review.
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Champion Health Score
Answer all questions to see your score
Champion Conversation Scripts
Proven scripts for every stage of champion development — from first identification to activation
Internal Selling Prep
Build the tools your champion needs to sell internally — so they don't have to wing it
📧 Champion Email Template — To Their Executive
📧
Give your champion a draft email they can send (with their own additions) to the EB. Don't make them write from scratch — they won't.
🗣 60-Second Champion Pitch — Internal Meeting
Template for your champion to use in any internal discussion. Fill in the brackets with their specifics.
"I've been working with [Vendor] over the last [X] weeks on [problem]. The reason I wanted to bring this forward is that I believe it directly addresses [priority/initiative]. We've done a rough ROI model and the numbers are compelling — [ROI summary]. I'd love to get [EB/leadership's] perspective on whether this aligns with our priorities for the quarter. Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation?"
❓ Objection Prep for Your Champion
The top 5 objections your champion will face internally — and what to say:
${[['Why this vendor vs. building it ourselves?','Frame it as a build-vs-buy analysis: "We looked at that. The engineering cost of building a comparable solution is [X], and that\'s before factoring in maintenance and the backlog it would displace. At [price], this is the better economic decision."'],
['Why now? We have other priorities.','Connect to the compelling event: "The reason timing matters is [trigger event]. If we don\'t solve this before [deadline], we\'re looking at [consequence]. That\'s why I\'m recommending we move on this now rather than next quarter."'],
['We\'ve never heard of this company.','Provide credibility: "They work with [reference customer] in our exact space. [Reference] started in the same position we\'re in and [outcome]. I can set up a reference call if that would help."'],
['Can\'t we get a better price?','Anchor on value: "I\'ve already discussed this with them. The investment is tied to [scope]. What I\'d rather focus on is: does the ROI model support the investment? Because based on our numbers, it does — even before we negotiate."'],
['What if this doesn\'t work?','De-risk: "We\'ve structured it as a phased approach with specific success criteria at [checkpoint]. If we don\'t hit [metric], we can pause before the full commitment. The risk is limited.'"']].map(([obj, res]) =>
`
❓ "${obj}"
✅ "${res}"
`).join('')}
Champion Tracker
Track the health and development stage of every champion across your active deals