What makes a champion different from a contact
An enthusiastic contact returns your emails. A champion stakes their reputation. The difference is whether they take action when you're not present.
Real champions do three things:
They evangelize internally. When their CFO pushes back on the price, the champion makes the case. When their CIO questions security, the champion finds the answer.
They recruit other stakeholders. They proactively bring in the Economic Buyer, the technical buyer, procurement. They build the buying committee for you.
They absorb friction. When the procurement process is painful, they push through. When competing priorities arise, they keep yours alive.
How to test if your contact is a champion
Three diagnostic questions to ask. If they can answer all three, you have a champion. If they can't answer one, you don't.
Who else inside your company will the EB consult before deciding? Real champions name the trusted peer, the senior IC, the finance partner who'll be consulted off the formal map. Engaged-but-not-champion contacts don't know.
What's the internal narrative for why you'd buy this? Champions have a story. They can articulate the business case in one sentence. Enthusiastic contacts speak in product features.
If procurement pushes back, what happens? Champions answer 'I'll handle it.' Enthusiastic contacts answer 'I'll let you know.'
When you don't have a champion
Most no-decision losses are champion losses, not product losses. The deal had positive sentiment but no one was willing to take career risk to drive it forward. The fix: identify a different candidate champion, or recognize the deal isn't structurally ready and don't forecast it.
Common follow-ups
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