Champion Development: Building and Enabling Internal Advocates

A sales VP analyzed her team's wins over the past year. The pattern was striking—deals with strong internal champions closed in 47 days on average at 73% win rates. Deals without champions took 134 days at 31% win rates.

The difference wasn't product fit or pricing. It was having someone inside the buyer's organization who actively sold on their behalf when they weren't in the room. Someone who navigated internal politics, built consensus, and drove urgency.

Forrester research confirms this pattern. Deals with engaged champions are 3-5x more likely to close and move through the sales cycle 2x faster than deals relying solely on external selling.

Yet most sales reps struggle to identify and develop champions. They mistake friendly contacts for advocates. They fail to equip champions with what they need to sell internally. They don't understand what motivates someone to champion their solution.

For revenue leaders building predictable enterprise pipelines, champion development isn't optional—it's the single highest-leverage closing activity. Champions multiply your effectiveness by selling when you can't and navigating dynamics you can't see.

What Is a Champion?

A champion is an internal stakeholder who actively advocates for your solution within their organization, uses their political capital to drive the purchase forward, and takes personal ownership of making the deal succeed.

Key distinction: A champion isn't just a friendly contact or someone who likes your solution. Champions have three defining characteristics.

Active advocacy - They sell on your behalf internally. They bring your solution up in meetings. They build the business case. They address objections from colleagues. They push for decisions.

Political engagement - They spend their political capital and credibility to advance this purchase. They're willing to take risk because they believe in the outcome.

Personal stake - They're personally invested in success through career advancement, problem ownership, or credibility. Your win is their win.

Without these three elements, you have a supporter (pleasant but not powerful) or a user (interested but not influential). Champions drive deals to closure. Supporters hope things work out.

The Champion Profile: What Makes an Effective Advocate

Not everyone can be an effective champion. Look for these characteristics.

Political Capital and Influence

This means credibility, respect, and informal authority within the organization. When they speak, others listen. When they advocate, stakeholders take it seriously.

How to identify: Others defer to them in meetings. They have long tenure or visible successes. They have relationships with decision-makers. They understand how decisions really get made (formal process vs. actual politics).

Why it matters: Champions without influence can't overcome resistance or drive consensus. They become cheerleaders without impact.

Personal Motivation and Incentive

Clear personal reason to make this purchase succeed. Not just organizational benefit—personal career or professional benefit.

Motivations that drive championship:

Career advancement - This initiative is visible and success advances their standing.

Problem ownership - They own the problem you solve and are accountable for fixing it.

Personal credibility - They've publicly advocated for this approach and need vindication.

Frustration with status quo - They're personally impacted by current inefficiency or failure.

Why it matters: Without personal motivation, advocacy fades when it becomes inconvenient. Strong champions persist through obstacles because they have skin in the game.

Communication Skills

Ability to articulate value clearly, build business cases, and persuade skeptics. They can translate your solution into language that resonates internally.

How to identify: They ask thoughtful questions that show deep understanding. They can explain your value proposition in their own words. They're effective in meetings and presentations. They understand different stakeholder concerns and how to address them.

Why it matters: Inarticulate champions can't sell effectively internally even if they're motivated. They need to build the case, not just believe it.

Access to Decision-Makers

Direct relationships with economic buyers, executives, and key influencers. They can get in the room where decisions happen.

How to identify: They report to or regularly interact with the economic buyer. They attend executive meetings or strategic planning sessions. They can schedule time with senior leaders. They're involved in budget and resource allocation discussions.

Why it matters: Champions who can't reach decision-makers become bottlenecks instead of accelerators. Access determines impact.

Willingness to Take Risk

Comfortable advocating for change even when it's not universally supported. Willing to expend political capital on something they believe in.

How to identify: They've championed other initiatives successfully. They speak up even when it's not popular. They're not risk-averse or overly political. They're action-oriented rather than analysis-paralyzed.

Why it matters: Risk-averse contacts will support you privately but won't advocate publicly. Champions take stands.

Champion Identification: Where to Find Potential Advocates

Champions don't identify themselves. You have to actively look for them.

Problem Owners

People directly responsible for the problem your solution solves. They're accountable for outcomes you improve.

Why they champion: Their performance is tied to solving this problem. Your solution is their solution.

Where to find them: Department heads, team leads, operations managers who own metrics your solution impacts.

Frustrated High Performers

Talented employees frustrated by inefficiency, inadequate tools, or organizational dysfunction that your solution addresses.

Why they champion: They want to work more effectively and see current constraints as barriers to their performance.

Where to find them: Rising stars, vocal critics of status quo, people who bring up pain points proactively.

Previous Champions (Different Organizations)

People who championed similar solutions at previous companies and saw success.

Why they champion: They've lived the transformation and want to replicate it. They have conviction from experience.

Where to find them: Ask about previous roles, initiatives they've led, solutions they've implemented elsewhere.

Strategic Thinkers with Executive Ambitions

Mid-to-senior level professionals looking for visible wins to advance their careers.

Why they champion: Successfully implementing your solution becomes a career accomplishment and executive-level credibility builder.

Where to find them: People who frame conversations strategically, reference company goals, think about organizational impact.

Early Engagers

Stakeholders who showed interest early, attended discovery meetings, asked detailed questions, provided internal context.

Why they champion: Early engagement signals genuine interest beyond politeness. They're investing time because they see value.

Where to find them: Review your meeting history. Who showed up repeatedly? Who went out of their way to engage?

Champion Recruitment Strategy

Finding potential champions is step one. Converting them to active advocates is step two.

Building Trust and Credibility

People don't advocate for solutions or companies they don't trust. Trust precedes advocacy.

How to build trust:

Demonstrate expertise - Show deep understanding of their business, industry, and challenges. Be a consultant, not just a vendor.

Be transparent - Acknowledge trade-offs, limitations, and implementation challenges honestly. Don't oversell.

Deliver value early - Provide insights, recommendations, and support before they commit. Give before asking.

Respect their time - Be efficient and prepared. Don't waste their political capital on poorly thought-through asks.

Show customer focus - Make decisions that prioritize their success over your commission. They'll notice.

Aligning on Mutual Success

The pitch to potential champions isn't "buy my solution"—it's "let's succeed together."

The conversation:

"I see the challenge you're facing with [specific problem]. Based on what you've shared, our solution could address this and deliver [specific outcomes]. But this only works if you're successful—not just if we close a deal.

For this to succeed, you'd need internal support, executive buy-in, and implementation resources. I'm committed to helping you build that case and navigate the internal process. This becomes your initiative and your win. I'm here to support you in making it successful.

Does that partnership make sense?"

What you're offering: Shared ownership of success (not just a transaction). Support in building internal case (not just selling to them). Tools and resources to navigate their organization (not leaving them alone). Credit and recognition for the win (making them the hero).

Demonstrating Value to Their Career

Champions need to see how this advances their personal goals, not just organizational goals.

How to frame it:

"Successfully implementing this solution positions you as the leader who:

  • Solved the [problem] that's been plaguing the organization
  • Delivered [measurable outcome] that executives care about
  • Led a strategic initiative that drives [business result]
  • Built expertise in [emerging area] that's valuable for your career

This becomes a visible win that strengthens your standing and opens doors."

Be explicit. Don't assume they'll connect the dots between organizational success and personal career impact. Make that connection clear.

Creating Personal Wins

Championship requires effort. Champions need to feel that effort is worth it personally.

Ways to create personal wins:

Visibility with executives - "I'd like to involve [Executive] in our next conversation. This gives you exposure to the C-suite on a strategic initiative."

Professional development - "I'll connect you with our customer advisory board, where you'll network with peers from other leading companies."

Industry recognition - "Would you be interested in co-presenting at [conference] about how you're approaching this challenge?"

Career advancement - "Successfully leading this implementation gives you a compelling accomplishment for your next performance review."

Problem solving - "Solving this particular challenge removes a major headache from your day-to-day."

Champions who benefit personally become stronger advocates.

Champion Enablement: Equipping Them to Sell Internally

Willing champions without tools are ineffective. Enable them deliberately.

Internal Selling Materials

What they need: Executive presentation decks (C-suite appropriate messaging). One-pagers summarizing value proposition (leave-behinds for stakeholders). Business case templates pre-populated with your data. ROI calculators showing financial impact. Comparison matrices showing you vs. alternatives. Implementation overview showing feasibility.

Why it matters: Champions are building your case in meetings you're not in. Give them professional, compelling materials they can confidently share.

How to provide: "I've created these materials specifically for your internal conversations. Feel free to edit them to fit your organization's language and priorities."

Objection Handling Preparation

What they need: Anticipated objections by stakeholder type. Response frameworks and talking points. Data and proof points to counter concerns. Examples of how other customers addressed similar objections.

Example objection prep:

Objection: "This seems expensive" Response frame: "Let's compare to cost of current approach..." Data point: "Current inefficiency costs us $X annually. This investment is $Y with payback in Z months." Proof point: "Similar companies saw ROI within first year."

Why it matters: Champions will face skepticism and pushback. If they can't confidently address objections, they retreat.

How to provide: Conduct objection preparation sessions. "Walk me through the stakeholders you'll present to. What concerns will each raise? Let's prepare your responses."

Political Navigation Guidance

What they need: Understanding of stakeholder dynamics you've observed. Strategies for building coalition with specific individuals. Tactics for neutralizing potential blockers. Sequencing advice (who to engage when).

Example guidance:

"Based on our conversations, it seems [Technical Buyer] has concerns about implementation complexity. I'd suggest addressing that before going to [Economic Buyer], so you can say 'IT has validated feasibility.' That removes a potential objection at the executive level.

For [Skeptical Stakeholder], would it help to arrange a reference call with a customer who had similar concerns and saw success?"

Why it matters: You see political dynamics from outside perspective. Your champion lives them but may not see clearly. Your guidance helps them navigate more effectively.

How to provide: Regular strategy sessions. "Let's talk through your internal landscape. Who's supportive? Who's skeptical? How do we build the coalition?"

Success Story Ammunition

What they need: Customer case studies from similar industries/company sizes. Quantified outcomes other customers achieved. Implementation success stories. Reference customer contacts for peer validation.

Why it matters: Social proof builds confidence. "Company like ours did this and succeeded" overcomes risk aversion.

How to provide: Curate 2-3 most relevant case studies. Offer to facilitate reference calls. Share video testimonials from similar customers.

The Champion Development Journey: From Supporter to Advocate

Championship develops through stages. Recognize where someone is and what they need to advance.

Stage 1: Interested Contact - They're responsive, ask questions, generally positive. What they need: Understanding of value and differentiation. Your focus: Education and credibility building.

Stage 2: Supporter - They believe the solution would help, say positive things when asked. What they need: Confidence this can succeed and belief in personal benefit. Your focus: Building trust, demonstrating success stories, showing career impact.

Stage 3: Emerging Champion - They start advocating internally, bring colleagues to meetings, share internal context. What they need: Tools and support to sell effectively internally. Your focus: Champion enablement—materials, objection prep, political guidance.

Stage 4: Active Champion - They're driving the process forward, building business case, navigating stakeholders, pushing for decisions. What they need: Ongoing strategic support and recognition. Your focus: Partnership—co-strategy sessions, real-time responsiveness, making them successful.

Stage 5: Executive Champion - They're taking this to executive level, securing resources, overriding objections. What they need: Executive-level materials and high-touch support. Your focus: Closing support—executive engagement, final negotiations, contract execution.

Move champions through these stages intentionally. Don't expect someone to jump from Stage 1 to Stage 4.

Testing Champion Commitment

Not everyone who says they'll champion actually follows through. Test commitment early.

Commitment Test #1: The Ask for Action

The test: Ask them to do something that requires effort.

Examples: "Can you set up a meeting with [Economic Buyer] for next week?" "Would you review this business case draft and add your internal context?" "Can you brief [Technical Team] on what we've discussed so they're prepared for our next meeting?"

What it reveals: Strong champions act. Weak champions make excuses or disappear.

Commitment Test #2: The Inside Information Share

The test: Ask for internal information that requires trust and advocacy.

Examples: "What's the internal buying process and timeline?" "Who are the potential blockers and why?" "How does budget allocation really work here?"

What it reveals: True champions share openly because they want you to succeed. Weak champions stay vague.

Commitment Test #3: The Political Risk

The test: Ask them to take a stance that involves some political risk.

Examples: "Would you recommend this solution to [Executive] directly?" "Are you willing to present this to the buying committee?" "Can you sponsor this in the budget meeting?"

What it reveals: Champions spend political capital. Supporters stay safely on the sidelines.

If someone fails these tests, they're not your champion. Keep looking or invest in developing them further before depending on them.

Multi-Champion Strategy: Building Advocate Networks

Single-champion dependency is risky. Champions leave companies, lose influence, or get reassigned. Build redundancy.

Primary Champion - Your strongest advocate. Most influential, most committed.

Secondary Champions - Additional advocates in different departments or levels. Provide insurance and broader coalition.

Executive Champion - Senior leader who provides strategic sponsorship and political air cover.

Technical Champion - Someone in IT/engineering who validates feasibility and addresses technical concerns.

End User Champion - Practitioner who can speak to daily utility and workflow improvement.

Multi-champion benefits: Redundancy if one champion leaves. Broader organizational coalition. Different stakeholder groups covered. Stronger consensus and momentum.

How to build: As you engage with different stakeholders, identify emerging champions and enable each one according to their role and influence.

Champion Risk Management

Champions are human. Things change. Manage champion risk.

When Champions Leave

The situation: Your champion takes a new job or gets promoted out of the role.

Response strategy: Ask them to introduce you to their replacement before they leave. Request they brief the new person on the initiative's importance. Leverage the executive sponsor relationship to maintain continuity. Don't start over from scratch—build on the foundation they created.

When Champions Lose Influence

The situation: Organizational changes reduce your champion's political capital or access.

Response strategy: Assess whether they can still drive the process. If not, identify new champions with current influence. Don't abandon the original champion (maintain the relationship) but expand your coalition. Engage their manager or executive sponsor to drive from above.

When Champion Commitment Wanes

The situation: Your champion becomes less responsive, engaged, or willing to advocate.

Response strategy: Diagnose why—competing priorities? Lost confidence? Political pushback? Address the root cause directly: "I've noticed you seem less engaged. What's changed?" Reassess whether they're still viable or if you need a new champion. Don't force it—reluctant champions are worse than no champion.

Post-Close Champion Relationship

Championship shouldn't end at contract signature. Strong champions become:

Reference accounts - Willing to speak to prospects about their experience.

Case study participants - Featured in marketing materials showcasing success.

Advisory board members - Providing ongoing product and strategy input.

Career-long relationships - Professional connections that span companies.

Maintain the relationship: Support their implementation success aggressively. Recognize their contribution publicly. Stay in touch beyond the transaction. Help them succeed in their career (introductions, advice, recognition).

Champions who succeed with your solution become your most powerful marketing and sales asset.

Conclusion: Champions Are Built, Not Found

The most common mistake in champion development is hoping someone naturally emerges as your advocate. They rarely do. Championship is intentional work.

Sales reps who wait for champions or mistake friendly contacts for advocates struggle with long cycles, political surprises, and deals that stall in committee.

Sales reps who deliberately identify potential champions, recruit them thoughtfully, enable them comprehensively, and support them throughout the journey build force multipliers that close deals faster and at higher rates.

The framework:

Identify the right person (influence, motivation, access, communication skills) Recruit them strategically (build trust, align on mutual success, show personal benefit) Enable them completely (materials, objection prep, political guidance, success stories) Support them throughout (strategy sessions, real-time help, recognition) Test their commitment (action requests, information sharing, political risk) Protect against risk (multi-champion strategy, relationship maintenance)

Master champion development, and you multiply your selling capacity. Every champion sells when you can't, navigates what you can't see, and drives decisions you can't force.

Stop selling alone. Build champions.

Ready to develop stronger champions? Explore stakeholder alignment and business case creation to equip your champions for success.

Learn more: