Coach or Champion?

There are several roles that people play at your prospect’s company. Those may include decision makers, influencers, gatekeepers, and economic buyers. Much has been written about the various roles and how to work with them, but there are a couple of roles that tend to get confused. That confusion can lead to unnecessary delays in the sales process if you’re not careful. And, it is easy to confuse the two roles. They are the Champion and the Coach.

I’ve asked many reps what their definition of a Champion is over the years. Invariably they are characterized as that person who:

• Loves our products
• Will always see me
• Evangelizes our products and services in the organization
• Tells me the inside scoop
• Shows me the org chart
• Tells me who the key players are
• Advocates for us internally

These are absolutely characteristics of a Champion, but how is a Champion different than a Coach? Other than the enthusiastic support shown by a Champion, the roles are very similar. This is where sellers can get caught in a bit of a trap. There is a key and very important difference in the two roles.

A Champion will grant you access to authority.

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I’m not sure if this is a widely-held definition of a Champion, but it is the one that strikes me as the key differentiator between the two players.

Think about some recent interactions with one of your accounts. Maybe you have someone who came across and acted like a Champion, but when you asked, did they broker a key introduction that helped you move your deal forward? Or, did they give you the name and contact information and leave it at that? See the difference? It is subtle but very important.

Both roles, Champion and Coach, are important to your sales success. Both have priceless insights that can help you navigate the wickets of the organization, but the Champion will ensure that you get direct access to the key players involved in making the decision. The Coach can’t or won’t. Make sure that you clearly understand and recognize the difference.