A champion in B2B sales is an individual at the buyer's company who believes in your solution, wants to see the deal succeed, and will actively advocate for your product internally to the economic buyer, procurement, and other stakeholders. The champion is different from the economic buyer (who controls the budget) and from the technical evaluator (who assesses product fit). The champion is the person who will fight for your deal in the internal meetings you are not invited to.
Why champions matter in complex B2B deals
Most enterprise B2B deals involve multiple stakeholders: a champion, a technical evaluator, an economic buyer, end users, and often procurement and legal. The champion is the glue: they understand your product's value deeply enough to explain it to the economic buyer in business terms, they have the political capital to navigate internal approval processes, and they have a personal stake in the deal succeeding (often because the problem you are solving is their problem). Without a strong champion, even the best product can lose to a competitor who has one.
How to identify a potential champion
- They feel the pain personally: the best champions are people who experience the problem you solve directly, not just someone who manages the budget. The sales ops manager who manually compiles weekly reports is a better champion candidate than the CFO who is concerned about efficiency in the abstract.
- They have internal credibility: a champion without political capital inside their organisation cannot advance your deal. Look for people who have been at the company for more than a year, have a track record of driving change, and are respected by their peers and managers.
- They are willing to take action: a real champion does things. They share internal information about the decision process, introduce you to the economic buyer, prepare internal communications on your behalf, and push back on procurement timelines. Someone who is enthusiastic in calls but never takes action is not a champion.
- They invest their own time: true champions spend time helping you prepare for key meetings, reviewing proposals before submission, and coaching you on the internal political dynamics of the deal.
How to cultivate a champion
- Make them look good: your champion's reputation is on the line when they advocate for your product internally. Give them the tools to succeed: compelling internal communication templates, a clear ROI case with their specific numbers, and answers to objections they will face.
- Help them build their business case: work with your champion to build the internal case for the investment. A champion armed with a detailed ROI analysis, risk assessment, and implementation plan is far more effective than one relying on enthusiasm alone.
- Keep them informed: if there are delays, issues, or changes on your side that could affect the deal, tell your champion first. Surprises damage the champion's credibility internally.
- Access the economic buyer through them: ask your champion to facilitate an introduction to the economic buyer rather than trying to reach the economic buyer directly without their help. This respects the champion's position and avoids going around them.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a champion in B2B sales?
- A champion in B2B sales is an internal advocate at the buyer's organisation who believes in your solution, wants the deal to succeed, and actively sells on your behalf to internal decision-makers. The champion is distinct from the economic buyer (who controls the budget) and the technical evaluator (who assesses product fit). In the MEDDIC sales methodology, Identifying a Champion (the "C") is one of the six qualification criteria precisely because deals without a strong internal advocate rarely close in complex enterprise environments.
- How do you find a champion in B2B sales?
- Look for contacts who: (1) personally experience the problem your product solves; (2) have internal credibility and political capital; (3) demonstrate willingness to take action (share internal information, make introductions, prepare internal documents); and (4) invest their own time in helping the deal succeed. Discovery call questions that reveal champion potential: "Who else in your company is affected by this problem?" and "If we could solve this, how would you present the business case to your leadership?"
- What is the difference between a champion and a sponsor in B2B sales?
- A champion is typically a mid-level or senior individual contributor or manager who believes strongly in your solution and advocates for it internally. An executive sponsor is a senior leader (VP or C-suite) who provides top-level support and can remove blockers like budget constraints or security concerns. In MEDDIC, the Champion is specifically about the internal advocate who will sell on your behalf; the Economic Buyer is the person with final authority. An ideal deal has both: a champion who understands and advocates for the solution, and an executive sponsor who can commit the budget.