7/16/2024-Who’s NOT my champion buyer?

You know how to bond with anyone…you’re a pro. But the strength of your bond is determined by how you provide value for your Champion inside their world, not inside a bar.

How did you get so close with your BFFBs (BFF Buyers)? Is it because your kids attend the same school or because you both like the Foo Fighters? …or maybe you’re both fans of Katilin Clark?

Obviously, you’re trying to convert every one of your buyers to Champion status, but shared interests will only get you so far.

It’s the above-and-beyond value you bring to the buyer and their personal agenda that gets you into the Champions Suite.

Focus on the value thing, not the new Foo Fighters album.

This champion development exercise is easy:

1. List your running client and A prospect account names.

2. Review all KDM names and nominate those you feel are potential Champions.

3. ID those individuals by these filters: shared interests (table stakes, but important), and how you can be of value to them.

What specifically can you do to help these prospective Champs? What reason can you give them to be your Champion?

The time and energy needed to develop a Champion is entirely so you can ask these questions, "What can you do to help me with X inside the org?" And, "It would be great if you could do X…is that within your reach?"

If you buy into the theory that developing Champions is based on helping them look good, then you get the essence of relationship building. But first, you gotta deposit some chits into their account. LOTS of chits.

What business events or conferences can you invite your budding Champs to? It’s easier to get exposure to these prospective Champions once you’ve cracked the business, but push yourself to think creatively about what kind of ways you can get them out of the office.

As for making them look good…it must be authentic. You must genuinely stress over this question, "How do I add value to John’s day and his role?"

Can you send ideas for an event or offsite meeting sites that ease their planning challenges? Can you solve a business problem that s/he owns? Can you help introduce a candidate to them for an open job? And what about your services as a personal consigliere? …can you help them get a new job?

Insights into these areas that you can help with come when you ask questions like, "So, what else are you working on these days?" Or, "What’s going on inside the company these days that’s exciting?" You may not get tips that unlock doors for you with questions like that, but you sure won’t learn anything if you don’t ask.

It’s not the seller with the most toys who wins, it’s the seller with the broadest and strongest relationship who wins.

To grow a relationship, sometimes you gottta "give one for free," as you’ll see Don Draper do for Conrad Hilton in this Mad Men clip.

Initially, Don isn’t happy about bowing to "Connie," but he knows what he’s doing and will never have a problem getting Conrad’s attention again.