A champion keeps slipping the demo (slip-then-slip). How do we know when to move to a new contact or escalate around them?
Slip-Then-Slip Champion Detection
40w bait: Three slips = champion mismatch. Move to actual economic buyer (CFO, VP Sales). If your champion won't commit 4 hours to a POC in 14 days, they don't own the problem.
Operator Play
Pavilion research: 43% of stalled deals involve a champion with low internal authority or misaligned priorities. The tell-tale sign: They say yes, then slip. Twice. Then slip again.
Slip #1 is circumstance. Slip #2 is behavior. Slip #3 is a signal that your champion doesn't own the pain or lacks organizational weight to move it forward.
Three-move diagnostic:
- Call the slip directly (After 2nd miss): "I've heard we're working on this—I want to level-set. Is this still on your Q2 priority list, or has something else taken precedence?" (Listen for hedging. If they say "depends on budget" or "my team will decide," they're not the owner.)
- Qualify their authority (Day after call): "Who ultimately decides if we move forward? Is that you, your VP Sales, or your CFO?" (If they name someone else, you've found the real buyer. They're not just a gatekeeper.)
- Escalate conditionally (Day 3): "I respect your process. I want to make sure we're not blocking your team's priority. Can you make an introduction to [CFO/VP Sales] so we can understand timeline and get them aligned? If it's not a fit, they'll tell us." (You're not skipping your champion; you're making them a connector.)
Decision tree: When to escalate past a champion
| Behavior | Signal | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Demo rescheduled 1x, reschedules 2nd time | Low priority | Call to clarify |
| Says "yes" then goes dark | Authority mismatch | Escalate to CFO |
| Cites budget/committee blockers | Not the owner | Find economic buyer |
| Confirms pain but won't commit 4 hours | Conflict of interest | Ask directly: "What would unblock this?" |
| Gives you competitor names unprompted | Exploring, not buying | Pause pursuit 90 days |
Challenger move: After Slip #2, send written summary (email, not call): "I want to confirm we're still aligned. Here's what I heard: [3 pain points]. Here's what ROI looks like: [numbers].
Your availability is the constraint. For us to know if this is real, you need to commit 1 hour on Tuesday. If that's not possible this month, I'll loop in your CFO so we can map the right timeline.
Fair?"
This email does three things: (1) Shows respect for their time, (2) Adds urgency, (3) Provides an off-ramp (looping CFO) that feels like help, not pressure.
Don't trash them. Say: "I want to make sure we're not creating friction for you. If this is lower priority, we can pause and restart in Q3. Or if you think your CFO would want visibility, I can reach out directly." (They usually say "let me get you on their calendar.")
TAGS: slip-then-slip,champion-vetting,authority-qualification,economic-buyer,deal-velocity,Challenger-framework,Pavilion-signals,escalation-strategy,deal-qualification,priority-assessment