🔍 Your best close signal is probably undertrained

"You make me better."

It's the hook to a 2007 R&B crossover banger from Fabolous and Ne-Yo and what closing would say to sound champion development if those concepts could talk. 

The latter can make the former more seamless and viable — so we surveyed over 300 sales leaders to gauge how one can influence the other.

One of the most common ingredients in won deals is the least-trained close signal.

Our survey found:

38%

of sales leaders say champions are present in 50%+ of closed-won deals

14%

of orgs formally train reps to identify champion presence as a close signal

You're watching for a closing door when you can't verify who's behind it.

Our survey found:

44%

train reps to flag deflected decision-maker access as a red flag

22%

say their biggest champion obstacle is distinguishing true advocates from casual supporters.

Decision-maker access being repeatedly deflected is the primary "nah — no deal to be had here" red flag reps are trained to identify. 

But the data raises an uncomfortable prior question:

How confident are reps that the person they're trying to reach through is worth the effort? 

Nearly a quarter of organizations say their biggest champion-development obstacle is distinguishing true advocates from "nod-along-ers" — casual supporters who can't or won't move the deal.

Training reps to escalate when access stalls is useful. 

But it assumes the champion who's supposed to open that door has been properly vetted. For a significant share of teams, that vetting never happens. 

The sequence matters: verify the champion first, then monitor the access. Reversing it means you're fighting for a meeting your advocate can't deliver.

What can you do with this next-level insight?

For reps:

Before escalating a stalled deal, pressure-test the champion. Can they name the decision-maker's priorities? Have they gone to bat for you once already? If not, you're knocking on a door no one inside plans to open.

For managers:

Your reps can verify timeline and budget on a checklist. Champion identification requires judgment. Coach it like a skill with reps and practice in deal reviews — not as a box they check on their own.

For leadership:

If more than half of your wins involve active champions but champion identification is one of your lesser-trained close signals, your enablement investment is probably misallocated. Redirect accordingly.

I just want to inspire the kids, man. I want them to read this sales media newsletter and say, "Wow! I want to grow up to be just like Jay Fuchs, Managing Editor of the Science of Scaling Newsletter, and write as good as he does!" 

And when they do, I'll give them a smile, tousle their hair, look them in the eye and say, "Fat chance, amateur. I'm one of one. Also, you want to write as 'well' as me — not as 'good.' Get it together."

Jay Fuchs. Managing Editor, The Science of Scaling Newsletter

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The data in question

As always, we sourced our data through Panoplai: I'm running out of steam with these little promos. I'll get a second wind at some point, but until I do, just go start using Panoplai. Do it. It's awesome.

Which of the following positive deal signals does your organization formally train reps to identify before pursuing a close? (Select all that apply)

• 31% — Prospect has articulated a specific timeline or compelling event
• 29% — Prospect engages proactively — returning calls and scheduling follow-ups without prompting
• 26% — Access has been granted to the economic decision-maker
• 25% — Prospect has shared budget or procurement details
• 14% — Champion has been identified and is actively selling internally
• 12% — We don't formally train reps on specific positive deal signals

Which of the following does your organization train reps to recognize as red flags that a deal may not close — even if the prospect hasn't said no? (Select all that apply)

• 44% — Decision-maker access is repeatedly deflected or delayed
• 34% — Prospect won't share timeline, budget, or procurement details
• 25% — Champion goes silent or becomes significantly less responsive
• 17% — Prospect engages only reactively — responds when contacted but never initiates
• 13% — Stakeholder group expands unexpectedly late in the process
• 11% — We don't formally train reps to identify specific red flags

What percentage of your closed-won deals involved an active internal champion?

• 28% — 50–74% — internal champions significantly improve win rates
• 20% — 25–49% — internal champions help but aren't always present in wins
• 17% — 10–24% — we occasionally benefit from internal champions but don't rely on them
• 16% — None of the above
• 10% — 75–100% — internal champions are essential to our sales motion
• 10% — Under 10% — internal champions rarely factor into our closed deals

What's the biggest obstacle your team faces in developing effective champions?

• 23% — Time and resource constraints — not enough capacity to invest in champion relationships
• 22% — Identifying the right people — struggling to distinguish true champions from casual supporters
• 17% — Testing champion strength — uncertain whether advocates can actually influence decisions
• 17% — Lack of systematic process — no clear framework for developing champions consistently
• 15% — None of the above
• 6% — Champion credibility concerns — worried about putting advocates in difficult positions