How to Arm your Champion to Win the Competitive Battle When You Are not in the Room.
You are in a competitive deal, your Champion seems supportive, but you are not sure they can or will defend you when other vendors push back internally.
In MEDDPICC, Competition is not just about knowing who else is in the deal. It is about whether your Champion can and will sell for you when you are absent. Most competitive deals are decided in internal meetings you never attend. A Champion who likes you but cannot articulate why you win is not a Champion - they are a fan. Fans do not close deals.
Where it goes wrong
You get to the final stage, the Economic Buyer leans toward a competitor, and your Champion has no ammunition to push back. The deal flips. You had no warning because your Champion never told you they were not equipped to fight for you.
What you'll be able to do
You can assess whether your Champion is truly armed, identify what they are missing, and give them specific tools to defend your position in rooms you cannot enter.
How to do it
Test the Champion before you arm them
Test the Champion before you arm them. Ask: 'If Vendor X pushes hard next week, what would you say to the Economic Buyer about why we are the right choice?' Their answer tells you exactly what they need.
Build a one-page comparison anchored in the buyer's own
Build a one-page comparison anchored in the buyer's own criteria and numbers - not your marketing copy. Use the weights and language that came out of discovery. Make it something they can forward without editing.
Give them a simple ROI narrative tied to the
Give them a simple ROI narrative tied to the Metrics you uncovered together. One number they can repeat: 'This gets us to X within Y months, which avoids Z.' Rehearse it with them.
Ask for proof of internal selling activity
Ask for proof of internal selling activity. 'Have you had a chance to share our approach with the Economic Buyer yet? How did that land?' If they have not done anything, that is a signal to address, not ignore.
Prepare them for the specific objection competitors will raise
Prepare them for the specific objection competitors will raise about you. Name it. Give them a short, honest response they can use.
See the difference
Rep to Champion: 'Great, so you are on our side - that is really helpful. Let us stay in touch as things progress.' No tools given, no test of readiness, no follow-up on what the Champion has actually done.
Rep to Champion: 'When the procurement team meets on Thursday, Vendor X will likely say our implementation takes longer. Here is how I would frame our 90-day go-live track record using the timeline your team gave us. Does this match what you would feel comfortable saying? Can we run through it once so it feels natural?'
You can assess whether your Champion is truly armed, identify what they are missing, and give them specific tools to defend your position in rooms you cannot en
How you'll know it's working
You have got it when your Champion can tell you, unprompted, the one or two things they said to the Economic Buyer on your behalf this week - and the response they got.
Questions people ask
How do you arm your champion to win the competitive battle when you are not in the room?
In MEDDPICC, Competition is not just about knowing who else is in the deal. It is about whether your Champion can and will sell for you when you are absent. You can assess whether your Champion is truly armed, identify what they are missing, and give them specific tools to defend your position in rooms you cannot enter.
What is the most common mistake to avoid?
You get to the final stage, the Economic Buyer leans toward a competitor, and your Champion has no ammunition to push back. The deal flips.
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