What Should Reps Practice for Champion-Building Conversations?

Short Answer

Reps should practice identifying potential champions early, arming them with business-case language they can repeat internally, and coaching them through their own buying process. The most effective discovery call practice focuses not just on extracting information but on building the kind of trust that turns a contact into an internal advocate.

Why Champion-Building Is the Most Overlooked Sales Skill

Every complex B2B deal requires an internal champion. Yet most sales enablement programs spend 80% of training time on objection handling and closing techniques, leaving reps to figure out champion-building on their own.

Research from Gartner shows that 75% of B2B buying decisions are now made by committee, with an average of 6-10 stakeholders involved. Without a champion actively selling on your behalf inside the organization, deals stall, timelines slip, and competitors gain footholds.

The problem is that champion-building is a nuanced skill. It requires a blend of discovery, coaching, and strategic empathy that most reps never develop because they never get to practice it in a safe environment. Traditional sales roleplay often defaults to pitch-and-respond drills, missing the deeper conversational dynamics that create real advocates.

Here is what separates teams that consistently build champions from those that struggle: they practice specific champion-building micro-skills through structured, repeatable exercises.

The Champion-Building Practice Framework: 6 Steps

Step 1: Practice Identifying Champion Signals

Before you can build a champion, you need to recognize who has champion potential. Not every contact qualifies. In your discovery call practice sessions, train reps to listen for these signals:

They volunteer information about internal politics or decision-making processes
They ask "how" questions rather than "what" questions
They express personal frustration with the status quo
They reference specific business outcomes they care about

Run cold call practice scenarios where the buyer exhibits these signals at varying levels. Reps should practice noting and responding to each one.

Step 2: Practice the "Teach-Back" Technique

Champions need to sell your solution when you are not in the room. The teach-back technique involves asking your contact to explain your value proposition back to you in their own words.

Have reps practice phrases like: "If your CFO asked you tomorrow why this is worth exploring, what would you tell her?" Then coach them to listen for gaps and gently fill them without being condescending.

Step 3: Practice Building Personal Stakes

Champions act because they have something personal to gain. Reps need to practice uncovering and reinforcing personal motivations without being manipulative.

In sales roleplay sessions, have the buyer character reveal career aspirations, frustrations with current tools, or desire to lead a visible initiative. Reps should practice connecting your solution to those personal outcomes naturally.

Step 4: Practice Mapping the Buying Committee

Strong champions help you navigate the internal landscape. Reps should practice asking mapping questions early and often:

"Who else would need to weigh in on a decision like this?"
"What has worked in the past when your team adopted new tools?"
"Is there anyone who might see this differently?"

Run scenarios where the buyer is initially reluctant to share org-chart details. Reps learn to earn the right to ask these questions by demonstrating value first.

Step 5: Practice Arming Your Champion with Ammunition

This is where most reps fall short. They assume the champion will figure out how to sell internally. Instead, reps need to practice co-creating the internal pitch.

Drill conversations where the rep says: "I put together a one-page summary you could share with your VP. Want to walk through it together and adjust anything?" This positions the rep as a partner, not a vendor.

Step 6: Practice the Champion Check-In Cadence

Champions go dark. Deals stall. Reps need to practice the follow-up rhythms that keep champions engaged without being pushy.

Practice scenarios where the champion stops responding for two weeks. Reps should work through re-engagement messages that add value rather than just "checking in." Examples include sharing relevant case studies, industry news, or competitive intelligence.

Example Sales Scenario

Context: Second discovery call with a Director of Revenue Operations at a 400-person SaaS company. The rep has identified champion potential.

Rep: "Last time we spoke, you mentioned your team is spending nearly 30% of their week on manual forecasting. I put together a quick breakdown of how two similar RevOps teams cut that to under 10%. Would it be useful to walk through it?"

Buyer: "That would be great, actually. My VP has been pushing us to find efficiency gains this quarter."

Rep: "Perfect. And if this resonated with you, how would you typically bring something like this to your VP? I want to make sure we frame it in a way that fits how decisions get made on your side."

Buyer: "Usually I would put together a short business case. The challenge is always proving ROI before we have budget approval."

Rep: "That makes sense. What if we built that business case together? I can share the data from those other RevOps teams, and you can layer in your specific numbers. That way your VP sees your analysis, not just a vendor pitch."

Buyer: "I like that approach. It would carry a lot more weight coming from me with real data behind it."

Rep: "Exactly. And if your VP has questions I can not answer, I am happy to join a call. But leading with your perspective usually lands better. When would be a good time to spend 20 minutes building that out?"

This conversation demonstrates champion-building in action: the rep provides value, respects the buyer's internal credibility, and positions themselves as a collaborative partner.

Common Mistakes

Treating every contact as a champion. Not everyone has the influence, motivation, or willingness to advocate internally. Reps waste time arming people who cannot or will not act. Practice qualifying champion potential early.
Pitching instead of coaching. Reps default to selling features when they should be teaching the champion how to sell the outcome internally. The champion does not need your pitch deck. They need a story they can tell in their own words.
Skipping the personal-stakes conversation. If you do not understand what the champion personally gains from this deal, you are building on sand. Practice uncovering personal motivations in every sales roleplay session.
Abandoning the champion after the intro meeting. Many reps get the meeting with the economic buyer and then stop investing in the champion relationship. The champion remains your most important ally through negotiation, procurement, and implementation.
Over-relying on email for champion communication. Champions need real conversations, not email chains. Practice picking up the phone or scheduling short video calls to maintain the relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if someone is really a champion or just being polite?

A real champion takes action. They schedule internal meetings, share your materials, and proactively update you on internal conversations. If your contact is enthusiastic on calls but nothing moves forward between meetings, they may be a coach (helpful but not influential) rather than a true champion. Test by asking them to take a small action and see if they follow through.

When in the sales cycle should you start champion-building?

Immediately. Champion-building starts in your first discovery call, not after a demo or proposal. The earlier you identify and invest in a potential champion, the stronger the relationship when it matters most. Your sales enablement program should embed champion-building exercises into every stage of the pipeline.

Can you have more than one champion in a deal?

Yes, and in enterprise deals you often should. Different champions can cover different parts of the buying committee. A technical champion might influence the IT review, while a business champion drives the budget conversation. Practice managing multiple champion relationships in your roleplay sessions.

What if your champion leaves the company mid-deal?

This happens more often than most teams plan for. Practice the pivot conversation: reaching out to remaining contacts, re-establishing value, and identifying a new potential champion. Also practice the "boomerang" play, where you stay in touch with the departing champion for future opportunities at their new company.

How do you build a champion when the buyer is skeptical?

Start with credibility. Share specific, relevant results from similar companies. Let the data do the heavy lifting rather than your enthusiasm. Practice a patient approach in discovery call practice sessions where the buyer starts skeptical and gradually warms as the rep demonstrates genuine understanding of their challenges.

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What Should Reps Practice for Champion-Building Conversations?