Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How Top Sales Reps Build Internal Champions to Close Deals
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, we talk a lot about the buying committee and the decision-making process, but there's one person inside a prospect's organization who can make or break a deal: the internal champion. Luna: Totally. And I think a lot of reps either overlook them or don't know how to actually leverage them. They just assume the person they've been talking to is a champion when really they're just a friendly contact. Lucas: Exactly. And you know, it's funny — just like a champion inside a company pushes a deal forward, we rely on our own champions to keep this show going. Our listeners who support us on Buy Me a Coffee are the reason we stay ad-free and independent. If these conversations have helped you in your sales career, consider joining them at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, truly. A little support goes a long way. Now, let's dig into what actually makes a great champion — and how you find one. Lucas: So first, identifying the right person. It's not necessarily the highest title. A champion is someone with credibility, influence, and a genuine interest in solving the problem you solve. I've seen champions be a mid-level IT manager who's respected by the VP of Ops. Luna: Right. And they ask good questions — not just 'how much does it cost?' but 'how does this integrate with our existing stack?' That's a sign they're thinking about implementation, not just evaluation. Lucas: Bingo. I spoke with a rep at a cybersecurity firm last quarter. She was selling a threat detection platform to a mid-size financial services company. Her main contact was a security analyst named Marcus. He wasn't the decision-maker, but he was the one who flagged the need and started the search. Luna: So how did she turn him into a champion instead of just a gatekeeper? Lucas: She did a few key things. First, she asked Marcus, 'Who else needs to be involved in this decision?' and 'What would make you look good for bringing this solution in?' She essentially asked him to co-create the business case. Then she provided a one-pager tailored to his company's specific risks and a simple ROI calculator he could use in a meeting with his CFO. Luna: That's smart. She gave him the ammunition to sell internally. Most reps just send a deck and hope for the best. Lucas: Exactly. Marcus ended up presenting the ROI model to the CFO himself. He didn't even bring the rep into the room. The deal closed in six weeks. Their average deal cycle was five months. That's the power of a properly equipped champion. Luna: Six weeks versus five months — that's a 75 percent reduction. So what separates a true champion from someone who's just friendly? Lucas: A true champion is willing to spend political capital. They'll advocate for you in rooms you're not in. They'll push back on objections from colleagues. The friendly contact might give you information but won't go to bat for you. You can test this by asking, 'If you had to summarize why this is important to your CEO, what would you say?' If they can't articulate it, they're not a champion. Luna: I like that — ask them to rehearse the pitch. Another thing I've seen is reps assuming the loudest person in the room is the champion. But sometimes the real influencer is quiet. They're the one the director calls after the meeting to get a real opinion. Lucas: Right. You have to map the org chart informally. Who has tenure? Who gets pulled into strategic projects? That's often the champion. Once you identify them, you need to empower them. That means giving them clear, concise data they can use in their own words — not just your marketing slides. Luna: And don't forget to ask them, 'What would need to be true for you to champion this internally?' That question gets at their personal win, which is huge. Lucas: Exactly. Their win might be operational efficiency, career visibility, or solving a headache. Align your solution to that. Also, provide them with objection handlers. If you know the CFO will push back on price, give your champion a one-pager on total cost of ownership versus competitors. Luna: Yeah, give them the script. Because they're not you — they won't have all the answers. The better prepared they are, the more confidently they'll advocate. Lucas: Now, a common mistake: over-relying on a single champion. What if they leave the company or lose influence? I always advise reps to cultivate at least two champions in different departments if possible. That way, if one door closes, another stays open. Luna: Makes sense. Also, sometimes a champion overestimates their influence. You can validate by asking them to schedule a meeting with a stakeholder you haven't met. If they can do that, they're legit. Lucas: Good litmus test. Another tactic: ask your champion to introduce you to the economic buyer early. Not to sell, but to understand priorities. That introduction itself signals that the champion is backing you. Luna: And when you do meet that buyer, make sure you reinforce the champion's credibility. Say something like, 'Marcus has been instrumental in helping us understand your needs.' It makes your champion look good and strengthens your alliance. Lucas: Absolutely. Now, a nuance: sometimes the champion isn't the person who loves your product the most. They're the person who sees the biggest downside to not changing. Fear of loss can be a stronger motivator than desire for gain. Luna: So find the person who's got a fire to put out. That's a different kind of champion — but equally powerful. Lucas: Right. I recall a deal where the champion was a VP who had been burned by a failed implementation a year earlier. He was terrified of repeating that mistake. So we positioned our solution not as a shiny new tool but as a safe, proven alternative. He became the fiercest advocate because he had to get this right. Luna: Interesting. So the angle was reliability over innovation. That resonates with risk-averse buyers. Lucas: Exactly. Now, a key mistake reps make: they stop engaging the champion once the deal is in final stages. But the champion often needs help navigating internal approvals, legal reviews, and procurement. Stay involved. Offer to prep them for each internal gate. Luna: Yeah, the deal isn't done until the contract is signed. So keep the champion looped in. They might need you to provide a quick comparison to a competitor's proposal that's come up. Lucas: And lastly, don't forget to thank your champion after the close. A handwritten note or a small gift goes a long way. They took a risk for you. Make sure they feel appreciated. Luna: And that sets you up for future referrals. Champions from won deals often become your best source of introductions. So it's an investment. Lucas: Exactly. To sum up: find the person with influence and motivation, equip them with the right tools, verify their influence, and support them through the entire process. That's how you turn a deal from a long shot into a sure thing. Luna: And if you want to dig deeper into this, we've linked some champion-building templates in the show notes. But for now, I think that's a solid framework. Lucas: Agreed. Next episode, we'll talk about how to handle the situation when your champion leaves the company mid-cycle. Stay tuned.