The Ultimate Guide To Working With Internal Champions

49% of businesses have seen an increase in the length of their sales cycles (according to a report from RevOps Co-Op).

It’s a wake-up call for sales leaders. How can they reverse this situation?

A good place to start is to look at how your sales reps work with internal champions.

You don’t need us to tell you that if reps can’t equip an individual (or set of individuals) to sell internally, then they’ll lose out on deals pretty quickly.

Your team must establish and maintain an airtight relationship with the internal champion(s) in a deal. It’s a vital but sometimes overlooked part of the sales process.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide, which includes a wide range of insights from sales leaders on how teams can effectively work with their internal champions.

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What are internal champions?

If we were to consult the B2B sales dictionary, what would it say?

Internal champions are employees in an organisation who actively promote and support a particular initiative, project, or change. These individuals use their influence, knowledge, and enthusiasm to advocate for the initiative and encourage others to get on board.

They play a critical role in driving the success of new programs or transformations by fostering a positive attitude and ensuring buy-in from various stakeholders.

That’s the AI-generated content explanation!

But what do our influencers think? What makes an effective champion?

Nate Nasralla, Co-Founder at Fluint, outlined three qualities that define a champion:

1. Personal incentive.
2. Access to information.
3. Influence.

And in Nate’s opinion, all three are equally vital. He said:

“It’s a common misconception that C-suite level titles will be champions. Remember, being a champion is not the same as being an influencer in the decision-making process.”

“Instead, it means that there’s a personal incentive or win in the deal that ties the individual directly to it.”

“Most of the time, executives have a lot of different trade-offs, and they’re not going to be doing a lot of the daily work to build a consensus across the rest of the buying team.”

In other words, the highest-level employees in a company don’t always make the best B2B champions.

Nate added:

“Another common mistake is that sellers think that a coach and a champion are the same thing in the sales process.”

“A coach is someone who gives you a lot of information but isn’t able to shape and change the internal conversation. Whereas a champion is the complete opposite.”

In Nate’s opinion, who are the biggest champions in sales?

“A good champion is somebody who consistently shows evidence of making progress in a deal internally. And your sales reps will have specific proof points to demonstrate that they’re the go-to person to communicate the business case.”

Tune into the full conversation with Nate - press ▶️ to listen to our podcast.

Why do you need internal champions in business?

From a sales rep’s perspective, internal champions are vital. Why?

Because they help secure buy-in and support for new initiatives or products inside a company.

They advocate for a product or service, espousing its value and benefits. They smooth the way, making it easier for the salesperson to convince other employees and stakeholders.

With a robust internal champions program, you can promote enthusiasm for your brand and remove resistance to change. You can facilitate smoother transitions and increase the chances of a successful sale.

What should you look for in a potential champion?

So, now you know what a champion is and why you need one.

The next big question is, of course, who should you look for? Who are the project advocates that’ll help you get your deal over the line?

Here are some essential qualities of an excellent B2B champion:

1. Passion and enthusiasm

Champions are passionate people! They’re passionate about their work and the company they work for. You could call them their brand’s super-users.

Other employees often view them as role models; they show genuine enthusiasm and a positive attitude to overcoming common challenges.

2. Leadership qualities

They exhibit natural leadership abilities and are great at inspiring and motivating others.

Although they might not always be in a leadership role, champions are confident people and can take charge when needed.

3. Credibility and trust

Champions are among the most credible people in an organisation. They’re respected and have earned the trust of their business partners.

When a champion speaks, others (even CEOs!) tend to listen.

4. Strong communication skills

It’s a no-brainer, this - you’re looking for someone who can effectively communicate your product’s benefits and importance.

Champions address sales pain points and provide clear, persuasive arguments.

5. Influence and networking

Champions have a strong network of contacts inside a business.

They’re well-connected, are skilful at influencing others and can rally support across different departments.

6. Problem-solving abilities

Solving problems, navigating challenges - these are things champions do brilliantly!

When presented with a problem, they provide constructive feedback and suggest creative solutions.

How do you identify internal champions?

Now you know who you’re looking for, how do you find them? 

Follow these steps:

1. Observe employee behaviour

Look for employees who are proactive, enthusiastic, and willing to go above and beyond their regular duties.

Identify those who naturally take leadership roles in team projects or initiatives.

2. Seek recommendations

Ask managers and team leaders to recommend people with leadership qualities and strong interpersonal skills.

Talk to industry peers; they may recognise influential colleagues.

3. Analyse performance and engagement

Review performance metrics; identify the top performers who consistently meet or exceed their targets.

You might also consider employees who participate in company events and training sessions. Or those who share their in-depth knowledge on social networks like LinkedIn.

4. Assess communication skills

Again, you’re looking for project advocates who can communicate effectively and articulate ideas clearly.

Look for good listeners who can empathise with others’ perspectives. Arrange discovery calls with your champions to assess their communication skills.

5. Evaluate influence and respect

Champions are respected and have good professional relationships with their peers.

Look for people who have a broad network in the company and are well-placed to influence others. You’ll have to dig around to get this info; try the multithreading sales approach until you zero in on a potential champion.

6. Check commitment to organisational goals

Identify individuals who strongly align with the company’s mission, values, and shared goals.

Champions are typically committed to their organisation’s success; look for people with longevity.

Tips for working with internal champions

Finding a champion is one-half of the equation. What about working with them? 

We have some tips for bringing champions into your sales process:

1. Get buy-in

Think about it from the champion’s point of view. What’s in it for them?

This question has never been more important when it comes to securing an internal champion.

Kaitie Voigt, Cognism’s Enterprise Sales Manager, said:

“It’s so hard to find the right person to get in front of, especially from my perspective of enterprise sales. So once you’ve found the right person, getting the information across and demonstrating why your product can help is crucial.”

The key takeaway?

Cementing the business case starts from the very first interaction.

Kaitie also said:

“You have to be specific with what’s in it for that champion - they’re the step to getting to the next ‘yes’ in the process. A scenario where the champion wants to move the conversation onto the next stage is the desirable one.”

You must create a powerful incentive for the champion to get on board. Kaitie outlined one idea, which is tying your product back to the champion’s individual goal:

“Maybe they’ve got a promotion on the line or a big project that’s part of their deliverable for the year. Use this information and tie it back to their personal stake in the deal.”

“That’ll make it easier to get other internal stakeholders engaged. It becomes a need that will help the organisation hit a particular milestone.”

Vladislav Podolyako, Founder & CEO of Folderly, supported this idea:

“To ensure your champion is aligned and validated, AEs must tie their solution to the internal champion’s success metrics. These are the measurable outcomes that the champion is accountable for in their role.”

“When the AE shows the solution’s positive impact on these metrics, it contributes tangible value to the champion’s professional success.”

“This tactic validates the solution’s relevance and strengthens the champion’s advocacy for it within their organisation.”

Nate shared this view, saying that it’s important to communicate and lead with pain from the start:

“Sellers aren’t in the room when buying decisions are made. But you still want to control the message. This is where champions can have the biggest potential impact.”

“Go to the champion and tell them what you’ve learned in your pain point and company research. Show them how your product solves problems and boosts the bottom line.”

“They’ll be your mouthpiece in the rooms you’re not in, influencing the decision-making process.”

2. Preparation makes perfect

Once you’ve got buy-in - what next?

Ask yourself this question:

Is the champion prepared to provide feedback to their business partners?

Kaitie told us:

“At one point during the deal cycle, your AE and AE manager will probably get decision-makers together on a larger call. And there’s no doubt your champion will play a critical role in these sessions.”

“It’s important to prepare - remember it’s a miracle if you can even secure thirty minutes. Your AEs have to make the time count!”

How can you and your champion make the biggest business impact? Kaitie gave us this checklist:

• Ensure you have the basic points covered - ask your champion who will be on the board meeting.
• Dig deeper - get a feel for who these people are, how they fit into the workplace culture, and what their vested interests are.
• Find out about their personalities - your champion will know how best to talk to them. You may face some decision-makers who are super-direct and succinct, for example.

3. Help them understand the buying process

Nate said:

“We talk about buyers as if it’s a full-time job. But the reality is that it’s an activity that someone does fractionally among their day jobs.”

“Buyers aren’t practising or listening to sales podcasts on how to buy, so it’s the seller’s role to help them navigate the process.”

A good tip is to gather intel from previous sales champions. Nate shared his process:

Identify your customers who successfully bought and rolled out your product. Then send them an email like:

“Hey, you did a lot of work behind the scenes when purchasing. I’d love to compare notes on how I think you rolled out the software versus how it actually went.”

The previous sales champion may reply with valuable insights into the sales process. Make notes of any criticisms or suggestions and use them to improve your process for your new customer.

Although buying journeys aren’t linear, and purchasing experiences will differ, there are always nuggets of insights you can take from one deal to the next.

Key takeaways

Hopefully, this article has given you a much better picture of how to work with internal champion networks.

Before we wrap up, we wanted to share an interesting insight into the professional relationships between sellers and champions.

If you go back to basics, sales is about gaining trust. If a champion doesn’t trust you, the deal won’t progress.

This has been summarised in a LinkedIn post from Jamal Reimer, Founder of Enterprise Sellers 👇

And that’s it - your guide to internal champions. Remember:

• The sooner your sellers can work with champions, the better they can articulate value in a deal.
• If the value is clear, buy-in from the rest of the decision-making committee will be easier.
• Your sales cycle will speed up because the buying committee will make decisions faster.

Find the decision-makers you want to do business with

Cognism makes it easy to find business champions and decision-makers.

3k+ B2B companies use our sales intelligence tool to reach their target prospects and companies. Check out our interactive demo 👇

Then, why not speak to a real person? Schedule some time with our team here.