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Ever lose a sale even when you were working with an internal champion? While the term
“champion” is used regularly in sales, it’s all too frequently used carelessly. Most commonly a champion is known as someone who will “tear through walls” to get a deal approved. Many deals can be closed by working with an internal champion, however you should know which level of champion as they are not all created equal.
Let’s use superheroes as an analogy to explain the difference in champions. Say you’re in a situation where you need help. If you could only pick one superhero, who would you pick between Batman and Robin? While Robin can still save the day, you know he’s second best. If Robin showed up you might wonder “where the heck is Batman?” You want the guy with the Batmobile and super weapons to come to your rescue, not the one superhero who sits in the sidecar of the motorcycle.
Here is how to identify which superhero you’re working with:
Batman: This is the top of the line champion and has the best chance of aiding in closing the deal. There are two important distinctions with this champion. First, Batman will have you present to The Decision Maker(s). Second, Batman will coach you on your presentation. Allow him to coach you and write everything down, however don’t assume he knows the information you need. Facilitate his coaching by asking some of the following questions:
What does the _____ (decision makers) talks about most often in meetings?
What are ________ trying to do with the company?
Why is this a priority now?
Why would _____ say no?
What questions or objections are you anticipating?
What else have I missed or what less should I look out for?
Tell me a bit about ________ personalities.
Robin: As we’ve established he is second best to Batman. The difference between Batman and Robin is Robin will be presenting to the Decision Makers, not you, however he will let you coach him on his presentation. It’s best to try and upgrade Robin to Batman first before you offer to coach him.
How to turn Robin into Batman:
1) Ask Robin why The Decision Maker(s) might say no. When he answers, ask him how he’d handle the objection. In most cases, Robin will not know how to answer. This is the opportunity to tell him (not ask) that it’s really best if he allows you to present. Tell him you handle questions like these daily and you wouldn’t want him to be put on the spot with something you’ve answered 100 times.
2) An alternative is to ask Robin an objection you, the sales person, hears most frequently. Be silent and let him struggle to answer. This again opens the door for Robin to realize it’s best to let you do your job by letting you sell.
3) One of my sales reps, Alison Bridgman, asked her Robin, “What’s your elevator pitch?” When he didn’t have an answer, he understood he wasn’t equipped to present and upgraded himself to Batman by allowing her to present. Shazam!!
If Robin won’t or can’t upgrade (sometimes there are legitimate reasons), the next best thing is to coach him on his presentation. At least you, as the rep, will still have some control over what is being presented to The Decision Maker(s). Pow!! You should ask Robin when the presentation is, who will be in the room (job titles and names), ask him to send you his presentation and ask how long the meeting is. Most Robins are more willing to send their PowerPoint if you explain you have materials you can send for their deck and save them time.
Most presentations, prior to your coaching, will include information about why Robin wants your product or service. The presentation is not typically catered to The Decision Maker(s) interests. Do not assume Robin knows how to position your product. Ask Robin the same questions you would ask Batman (listed above) and coach him on how to cater his presentation to The Decision Makers’ interests.
If Robin won’t share his deck or worse, he doesn’t have a deck or a scheduled time to actually present, you may in fact be working with The Joker.
The Joker. This is a person who may say a lot of the right things, however they don’t do the right things. They may even say they are your champion or tell you they are going to fight for the deal. Don’t be fooled. If your contact won’t either coach you or be coached by you, you in fact don’t have a champion at all. Your contact is not bought in. You can either go back to handling objections or stop spending time with this contact and move on.
A champion serves two purposes, either to be a coach or to be coached. The more control a rep can have with a sale, the more likely the deal is to close. If you have no control over the decision maker presentation, it’s best to walk away and work other deals. Your chances of winning a deal you don’t governor are as good as Charlie Sheen staying sober.
