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.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Product Champion is an enthusiastic advocate who promotes a product within an organization without formal authority, while a Product Manager has official responsibility for the product's development and success. Product Champions typically emerge organically from any department based on their passion and belief in the product, whereas Product Managers are hired specifically for strategic product oversight. While Product Managers focus on roadmaps, features, and market fit, Product Champions influence adoption through personal credibility and relationship-building. Product Champions complement Product Managers by providing grassroots support and valuable user perspectives. In practice, a sales representative who consistently demonstrates a new feature to colleagues would be a Product Champion, while the person determining which features to build is the Product Manager.
A Product Champion is an enthusiastic advocate who promotes a product within an organization without formal authority, while a Product Manager has official responsibility for the product's development and success. Product Champions typically emerge organically from any department based on their passion and belief in the product, whereas Product Managers are hired specifically for strategic product oversight. While Product Managers focus on roadmaps, features, and market fit, Product Champions influence adoption through personal credibility and relationship-building. Product Champions complement Product Managers by providing grassroots support and valuable user perspectives. In practice, a sales representative who consistently demonstrates a new feature to colleagues would be a Product Champion, while the person determining which features to build is the Product Manager.
To become an effective product champion, you need strong communication skills to articulate product value clearly across various audiences. Deep product knowledge is essential, allowing you to understand features, benefits, and use cases inside out. Problem-solving abilities help you address customer objections and identify new opportunities for product application. Relationship-building skills enable you to work effectively with both internal teams and external stakeholders. Finally, passion and enthusiasm for the product are crucial, as your genuine belief in what you're championing will naturally influence others.
