Dear SaaStr: Our Champion Left The Company. How Do I Ensure a Shaky Deal Doesn’t Collapse?
When your champion leaves, you’re essentially starting from scratch with the account. You’ve lost your internal advocate, and now you need to rebuild trust and prove value to the new stakeholders. If your new “champion” has used a competitor at their last company, they’ll often almost immediately think about swapping you out … for them.
Here’s how you can stabilize the deal and prevent churn:
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Treat it like a brand-new deal. This is critical. You need to resell the value of your product to the new decision-makers. Get on a plane if you have to, meet them in person, and make your case. Show them why your product is indispensable to their success. Don’t assume they’ll just continue with the status quo—they won’t.
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Build multiple champions ASAP. One of the best ways to de-risk deals is to ensure you have multiple points of contact within the organization. If you’ve been relying on just one champion, this is a wake-up call. Start building relationships with other stakeholders—end users, managers, and executives. The more people who understand and value your product, the less likely the deal will fall apart when someone leaves.
- Go There. In Person. This isn’t as magical as it is when your champion is still there. But go anyway. It says a lot when you show up in person.
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Prove ROI immediately. The new stakeholders will want to know why they should keep paying for your solution. Be proactive in showing them the ROI your product delivers. Use hard data, case studies, and specific examples of how your product has driven results for their team. If you can tie your product directly to their KPIs, you’ll have a much stronger case.
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Engage your executive team. If the account is large enough, get your executives involved. Get the CEO and VP personally involved now. This is especially important if the deal is at risk of churn due to a competitor aggressively courting them.
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Over-communicate value. Don’t assume the new stakeholders understand the value of your product. Regularly communicate how your solution is helping their team succeed. This could be through quarterly business reviews, success stories, or even simple check-ins. The goal is to keep your product top-of-mind and indispensable.
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Address any gaps head-on. If there are feature gaps or other issues that could jeopardize the deal, address them directly. Be honest about what you can and can’t deliver, and work with the customer to find a solution. Surprises are the fastest way to lose trust, so transparency is key.
Ultimately, the key is to act fast and treat this as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship. If you can successfully navigate this transition, you’ll not only save the deal but also set the foundation for long-term growth with the account.
Your new “champion” may be inclined to switch. But intertia and momentum matter, too. It takes energy to switch vendors. By going out there, and going the extra yard, you may at least convinced them the time to switch … isn’t now.
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