Product champion is an enthusiastic supporter within a prospect or customer organization who advocates for your solution internally. Champions believe in your product's value and actively promote it to colleagues and decision-makers, providing crucial support during evaluation and implementation. Identifying and nurturing champions is critical for complex B2B sales, as they provide insider perspectives, navigate internal politics, and help overcome objections. The best champions have credibility, influence, and personal motivation to see your solution succeed in their organization.
How do you identify a potential product champion within a prospect organization?
Look for individuals who ask insightful questions, share organizational challenges your product could solve, and demonstrate enthusiasm about your solution's potential impact. Pay attention to those who proactively introduce you to other stakeholders or request additional resources to share internally with their team. Potential champions often reveal themselves by discussing how your product aligns with their personal goals or career advancement, not just organizational objectives. They typically engage beyond formal meetings, following up with questions and exploring use cases specific to their environment. The strongest champions usually have both the influence to drive change and a genuine problem your product can solve.
How can sales teams effectively nurture and support product champions?
Sales teams can nurture product champions by regularly sharing industry insights and product updates that help champions look knowledgeable to their peers. Schedule exclusive briefings or early access opportunities to make champions feel valued and invested in your solution's success. Provide champions with internal-facing materials like ROI calculators, case studies, and presentation templates they can use to build consensus within their organization. Recognize their contributions through testimonial opportunities or customer advisory board invitations. Always maintain responsive communication channels so champions know they can count on your support when advocating for your solution.
What's the difference between a product champion and an executive sponsor?
A product champion is an internal advocate who personally believes in your solution and drives adoption from within the customer organization, while an executive sponsor is a high-ranking stakeholder who provides formal authority, budget approval, and strategic alignment. Champions operate at the ground level, actively promoting daily usage and gathering user feedback, whereas sponsors provide top-down support and remove organizational barriers. Both roles are complementary in B2B sales—champions build grassroots momentum while executive sponsors enable formal decision-making and resource allocation. For complex sales cycles, identifying both champions and sponsors significantly increases your chances of successful implementation and long-term retention.
