Champion

What Makes Someone a Champion?

A champion is a strategic ally within a prospect or customer organization who is invested in your solution's success. They believe in the value your product delivers, understand how it solves business problems, and are willing to advocate for its adoption throughout their organization.

Champions possess three essential qualities:

1. Belief in your product: They see the value your solution provides and how it addresses specific pain points.
2. Internal influence: They have the credibility and relationships to persuade others within their organization.
3. Active advocacy: They put their reputation on the line to promote your solution.

Unlike regular users who might simply enjoy your product, champions ensure your solution gets purchased, implemented, and expanded. They speak up in meetings, connect you with decision-makers, and help navigate internal politics and procurement processes.

Real-World Example

Consider Sarah, a marketing operations manager at a mid-sized B2B company. After implementing your analytics platform, she experiences a significant reduction in reporting time and gains insights that help her team improve campaign performance.

When budget discussions arise, Sarah proactively shares these results with her CMO. She arranges demos for other departments, creates internal documentation showcasing your product's ROI, and defends the investment during budget cuts. Without being prompted, she writes a testimonial and offers to be a reference for prospective customers.

Sarah isn't just a satisfied user—she's a champion who actively ensures your product's success within her organization.

Why Champions Matter

According to CEB (now Gartner) research, the presence of a strong champion increases the likelihood of closing a complex B2B sale by 5x. Champions matter for three key reasons:

1. They Accelerate the Sales Process

B2B sales cycles can be lengthy and complex. Champions streamline this by:

• Providing insider information about decision-making processes
• Connecting you with key stakeholders
• Helping tailor your pitch to address specific concerns
• Advocating for your solution when you're not in the room

2. They Reduce Churn Risk

Great champions are typically highly engaged in your product, working in the right role, and already investing in your product—either personally or through their company. This engagement makes them more likely to defend your solution during renewal discussions.

3. They Drive Expansion Opportunities

Champions help you grow accounts. They understand your solution's value and identify new use cases within their organization. According to our July 2023 newsletter, champions are "likely the person you want to reach out to in order to land new deals and grow single seats into multi-seat expansion."

Identifying Potential Champions

As outlined in our article "How to Find Champions from Your User Base," there are several indicators to look for when searching for potential champions:

High Engagement

Champions typically:

• Use your product frequently and skillfully
• Explore advanced features
• Complete product training or certification programs
• Submit thoughtful feedback and feature requests

Our article describes these users as "power users" who "exhibit high engagement with your product" and "are adept at leveraging its features to the fullest."

Strategic Position

Effective champions have:

• Credibility: They're respected by colleagues and leadership
• Strategic role: Their position benefits directly from your solution's success
• Connections: They have "strong internal networks" and are "connected with key stakeholders and decision-makers"

Evangelistic Behavior

Watch for users who:

• Have a "propensity to share and onboard others"
• "Actively invite colleagues to use the platform"
• "Share their work created using your product"
• Provide "constructive feedback" that shows "deeper commitment and understanding of your product's value"
• Engage in "public advocacy" by speaking "positively about your product on public forums, social media, or industry events"

Another strong indicator is when a user is "paying personally for the product," which "signals strong belief in its value."

Nurturing Your Champions

Finding champions is only the beginning. Successful companies actively nurture these relationships:

1. Provide exclusive access: Include champions in beta programs and advisory councils.
2. Arm them with resources: Supply ROI data, case studies, and presentation materials they can use internally.
3. Recognize their advocacy: Highlight their successes in user communities, offer certification programs, or create formal champion programs with rewards.
4. Support their career growth: Connect them with peers, provide professional development opportunities, and ensure they receive credit for the success of your solution.
5. Stay connected: Maintain regular communication beyond renewal periods, and genuinely invest in their success.

Testing Your Champion

Our blog suggests several ways to "test" a potential champion's commitment and influence:

1. Share Information: Provide them with detailed product information and observe how effectively they communicate this within their organization.
2. Seek Feedback: Ask for their input on your product and note if they offer constructive suggestions.
3. Observe Engagement: Watch how they interact with their team regarding your product. Are they persuasive and enthusiastic?
4. Gauge Influence: Measure their impact by the responses and engagement of other stakeholders in their organization.

Common Champion Mistakes

Even experienced SaaS companies sometimes mishandle champion relationships:

1. Single-champion dependence: Relying on one champion creates risk if they leave the company. Always develop multiple champions across departments.
2. Confusing users with champions: Some users may love your product but lack internal influence or willingness to advocate. Accurately identify true champions with both enthusiasm and impact.
3. Transactional relationships: Treating champions purely as sales tools rather than strategic partners undermines long-term success.
4. Post-sale neglect: Many companies focus on champions during sales but forget them after implementation, missing expansion opportunities.