# Champion Identification & Development Checklist

> The 12 signals that separate a real internal champion from a friendly contact, plus what to do at each stage to build one.

Free checklist for sales reps. Topic: [Sales Process & Methodology (MEDDIC, SPIN, Challenger)](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/topic/sales-process-methodology-meddic-spin-challenger/). Published by PeerLab in the [Sales Enablement Resource Library](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/). Source: https://www.peerlab.ai/library/champion-identification-development-checklist/

## How to use it

Score your primary contact against the 12 signals at each deal stage; anything below 8 triggers the matching development actions in Part 2 rather than waiting for the deal to stall on its own.

## What's inside

- The 12 signals that separate a real champion from a friendly contact
- Scoring guide: 10-12 strong champion, 6-9 developing, 0-5 friendly only
- Stage 1, Identify: mapping and diagnostic questions
- Stage 2, Test: low-risk asks to verify real influence
- Stage 3, Develop: arming them with internal-facing material
- Stage 4, Arm & Protect: business case handoff and post-sale continuity
- Red-flag list for false-positive champions

## Part 1, The 12 Signals of a Real Champion

A "friendly" likes you. A **champion** has power, a personal stake, and takes action on your behalf when you're not in the room. Check each signal against your contact, 8+ checked is a real champion; below 5 is a friendly you still need to develop or replace.

1. [ ] **Personal stake**: they have something to personally gain (promotion, reduced workload, a KPI they own) if this deal closes
2. [ ] **Internal credibility**, others in the org listen to them; not the newest or most junior person in the room
3. [ ] **Unprompted access**, they've introduced you to someone else internally without being asked
4. [ ] **Internal information sharing**: they've told you something they didn't technically have to (budget range, competitor intel, internal politics)
5. [ ] **Coaching you to win**, they've proactively told you how to position against a competitor or navigate an internal blocker
6. [ ] **Time investment**: they've spent real time outside scheduled calls (prepping you before a meeting, reviewing a proposal draft)
7. [ ] **Public advocacy**, they've said something positive about you in a meeting where you weren't present (confirmed via a third party or their own recap)
8. [ ] **Survives pushback**: when someone raised an objection, they defended you rather than staying neutral
9. [ ] **Answers hard questions**: they'll tell you bad news, not just positive updates
10. [ ] **Process fluency**, they know and can explain their own org's buying process and decision-makers
11. [ ] **Responsiveness under pressure**, they respond promptly even when the deal isn't moving smoothly
12. [ ] **Skin in the outcome**, they've stated what happens to them personally if this doesn't get done

**Scoring:**
- **10-12 checked:** Strong champion, arm them and protect the relationship
- **6-9 checked:** Developing champion, targeted development needed (Part 2)
- **0-5 checked:** Friendly contact only, do not forecast on this relationship; find or build a real champion in parallel

## Part 2, Development Plan by Stage

### Stage 1: Identify (weeks 1-2)
- [ ] Map every contact against the 12 signals above
- [ ] Ask directly: "Who in the building would be personally affected if this problem got solved?"
- [ ] Ask: "Has anyone here tried to fix this before? What happened to them?"
- [ ] Identify who owns the metric your solution moves: they have the strongest personal stake

### Stage 2: Test (weeks 2-4)
- [ ] Give a small, low-risk ask (share an org chart, introduce one more stakeholder, forward an email): see if they follow through
- [ ] Ask a question only an insider could answer well and see how forthcoming they are
- [ ] Watch what happens when you raise a mildly difficult topic (pricing, timeline): defensive on your behalf, or go quiet?

### Stage 3: Develop (weeks 3-8, runs in parallel with the deal)
- [ ] Give them language and material to sell internally: a one-page summary written in their voice, not yours
- [ ] Make their personal win explicit and repeat it back to them
- [ ] Loop them in on strategy so they feel like a partner, not a lead
- [ ] Introduce them to a peer at a reference customer who fought a similar internal battle

### Stage 4: Arm & Protect (proposal through close and handoff)
- [ ] Equip them with a business case built from THEIR numbers (see CLTV Calculator / discovery Implication answers)
- [ ] Prep them explicitly for internal meetings you won't be in
- [ ] Protect their political capital: never make them push back on their own economic buyer; that's your job
- [ ] Confirm they're still engaged post-signature: hand off warmly to CS with full context (see Sales-to-CS Handoff Checklist)

## Red flags that a "champion" is actually a false positive
- They agree with everything and push back on nothing
- They can't get you access to the economic buyer after multiple asks
- They're new to the role or org (under 6 months) with no track record of internal influence
- All communication is reactive, never proactive
- They've said "I like it but I don't know if I can get this through" more than once with no plan to address why