Who’s Your Sales Champion?

What does it mean to champion a relationship with your prospects? If you don’t have a sales champion when you are doing business in b2b sales, the deal with the company you are dealing with might not go as smoothy as one would hope.

A sales champion is critical if you want to drive a successful sales engagement. No champion, no deal.

What does it mean to be a sales champion?

Sales champions are key stakeholders within a business that can influence the decision-making process of the company they represent.

The sales champion will give you the inside advantage when it comes to running a successful sales campaign with the company prospects. Sales champions help you identify and influence key decision makers and let you know who has the power in the organization.

A great sales person knows that having a sales champion present when dealing with customers goes a long way to helping them win the deal. It’s a successful sales person that knows how much influence a sales champion can have when doing a deal with the target company.

Why is the sales champion role important?

Having a sales champion that is knowledgeable and passionate about your product or service can positively influence the final decision on whether to purchase from you or not.

The presence of a sales champion provides credibility and trust to your company, and will ensure that the decision makers feel comfortable with doing business with you. The sales champion’s unique insights and qualities can help you craft a more tailored solution to the business you are working with. The sales champion will provide the upper hand during the deal.

Influence during a sale

Help the salesperson understand what decision-makers are thinking

Those who have been in sales for a while know how complex a sales process can be. It’s important to have a sales champion that can provide insights into the decision-making process of the target customer.

Sales champions are also great advocates for your business and products when speaking with decision-makers, as they can provide an unbiased opinion on what works best for their organization. They can answer any questions about your product or service when there is interest but the business isn’t committed to purchasing yet.

Identify key purchase criteria

The sales champion can help the business define the qualities of the deal that would make your solution most favourable. The sales champion is also able to provide you with an understanding of what the customer is really looking for and how your solution can meet their needs.

Provides influence in support of your product

Sales champions can defend your position when the company is having internal discussions about competing solutions. Sales champions can also help you stand out from the competition by providing additional insights into why your solution is the best fit for their organization.

Provide internal metrics that can influence key drivers

Having insider knowledge about industry metrics can play a large role in the success of a sales engagement. Sales champions can provide access to internal data that could be crucial in helping you win a deal.

Support the sales process against the competition

It’s highly likely that that logo you are trying to win isn’t only considering your product for purchase. A sales champion can help you navigate the competition and position your solution as the optimal choice.

Influence after the sale

Support users at the organization

The champion of the deal can also help you provide ongoing support to users of your product or service at the organization. They can assist with user onboarding, training and technical support when needed.

Provide referrals

Sales champions can be a great source of referrals for other customers. They are likely to have an extensive network to which you may not otherwise have access. They can also provide valuable feedback on improving your product and services for future customers.

Can support upsells and cross sells

The sales champion can help you identify the opportunities for upsells and cross-sells with that customer. They can provide insight into areas where value could be added to the deal and help boost your sale revenue.

Best qualities of sales champions

When searching for a sales champion, look for someone who deeply understands the customer’s business and industry. They should also have a good character with knowledge and some of the following traits.

Drive for success

A sales champion should have the drive to succeed and push themselves to achieve the best outcome for any given situation.

Enthusiastic personality

The sales champion should have an enthusiastic and passionate personality that will resonate with the customer and help to create a connection.

Drive to learn

The champion should be motivated to learn more about the product they are advocating and stay up to date with industry trends.

Passion for the technology and b2b2 sales process

Having a passion for the technology, coupled with knowledge of the b2b sales process is vital when selecting someone to be your champion.

Know how to prioritize

The sales champion should have the ability to prioritize and focus on the tasks that will have most impact on the deal.

Can manage setbacks and failure

Sales champions should also be able to handle setbacks and failure with resilience and use it as a learning opportunity.

Final Thoughts

In summary, Sales Champions can provide invaluable support during a sales process. They can act as your advocate, providing access to data and insights that may be crucial to close a deal.

They also provide support and advice post sale, which can help build customer relationships for the long-term.

To become a sales champion in your business, look for someone with the necessary knowledge, drive and enthusiasm to represent your product or service.

Equip them with relevant data and insights so they can be comfortable and knowledgeable when advocating for your product.

Finally, ensure that you provide ongoing training and support so that they can stay up to date with the latest trends, information and tools.