Defining a Champion
What is your internal definition of a 'champion' within your accounts? How did your team get to that definition?
We are starting to redefine this internally as a CS + Product Team initiative and would love to hear how you and your team have built a definition that represents both qualitative and quantitative characteristics.
Look forward to all your feedback!
Best,
Michael
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Have strong communication skills
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Outgoing, empathetic, and well respected among their colleagues
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Speaks up in team meetings; proactively shares best practices with fellow team members
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Frequently seeks out opportunities for process improvement
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Strategically thinks about customer communications and engagement
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Actively champions and advocates for your product with customers
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Natural leader able to help team members adhere to internal deadlines
- Direct liaison to the decision maker
- Helps define purchasing criteria
- Communicates the decision-making process
- Participates in evaluation
- Keeps out the competition
- Helps build the business case
- Tracks metrics of success
- Works on the implementation process
- Continues to build off business case and finds new ones
- Continues to keep out competition
- Referral to new leads
We just did a very similar exercise where we wrote a champion "job description". We pitch the job description to our main contact / admin and so they can identify an end user on their team to be a grassroots champion among all other end users. This way, the full team of users has buy in (from top-down and bottom-up).
The job description includes key responsibilities like trainings, time commitment, etc., but also includes key attributes and behaviors for the grassroots champion:
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Bree Pecci
Customer Success Manager, ChurnZero
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Good timing as we are in the process of redefining our contact roles for our customers. Here's how we are going about defining our "Adoption Champions":
The Adoption Champion focuses on day-to-day tactical implementation and execution of the agreed on desired outcome through our software. They may report to the Executive Sponsor and work strategically with this person by communicating wins, implementation advancements and quantified examples of how we are mutually working towards the agreed on desired and measurable business outcomes. This person is also responsible for helping advocate internally for our partnership. The CSM and the Adoption Champion will work closely together to coordinate trainings, EBR's with Executives, and gather feedback for feature requests and product improvements.
Something to also note, the "adoption champion" for us is typically not someone who holds the budget, but likely has some influence in the continued ROI and success of our partnership. For our smaller SMB clients, it's possible that the "Champion" can also be the Executive Sponsor so there's some flexibility around that. Hope this helps!
A few ideas below...
Customer Champion typically acts as an advocate for you within the company. Likely does one or more of the following…
Pre-Sales:
Post-Sales:
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Jess Galenski
Senior, Customer Success Leader
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