In my time working in B2B SaaS, I've watched many major shifts.

The draw of customer success, focus on product-led growth, the rise of digital CS, the importance of time-to-value, and more recently AI-powered automation.

The consistent thing throughout?

Companies that win are the ones who understand that strategic human relationships drive revenue.

📣 Let me drop some stats

More than 74% of companies now have dedicated customer onboarding teams.

Yet 75% of users abandon a product within the first week if onboarding is confusing.

We've invested heavily in technology, process, and automation.

So, what are we missing?

Customer references influence a whopping 80-85% of all B2B purchases.

Your customers need someone inside their walls who understands, believes in, and actively promotes your solution.

Don’t leave this to chance.

As AI takes over the transactional parts of onboarding, the strategic soft skills become more valuable, not less.

Identify real influence. Build continuity. Leverage champions for revenue.

“I get it Clare, so what do I do about it??”

Good question! Keep reading. ↓

🧪 The Project: Champion Multiplier System

This framework treats champions as what they actually are: revenue drivers. These strategic plays require human judgement, relationship intelligence, and forward thinking.

Step 1: Spot strategic thinkers

During onboarding, watch for the person who naturally translates your product into their organisation's language.

Not just the person asking the most questions, but the one providing answers to their colleagues.

This highlights strategic thinkers who naturally see the bigger picture.

They are the ones already planning how to deploy it.

This mindset makes them natural expansion scouts, not just product champions.

When you identify this early, you can position them correctly from the start.