Following your champion to a new company

A former champion at a new company is the warmest start you'll ever get. They already trust your work, and they're in their first 90 days with a mandate to change something.

Few signals combine trust and timing like that. Don't waste it on a congratulations note.

Why this signal is so strong

Two signals land at once. A new leader in a buying seat, which is near the top of the list. And engagement with you, from someone who's already bought.

The new leader part gives you timing. They're forming a view of what's broken and which partners to keep. The past champion part gives you trust. They don't need a case study. They watched your team deliver.

And they need early wins. A new leader wants to show movement fast, and bringing in a partner they know is lower risk than auditioning strangers.

When to reach out

Not on day one. Their inbox is full of congratulations, and they're still finding the coffee machine.

Give it two to four weeks. By then they've met the team, read a few contracts and started to see the gaps. They've got something to talk about.

But don't wait past the second month. By month three, the plan is forming and the partner list is taking shape. You want to be in the conversation before that, not pitching against it.

Do your research first

It's tempting to skip research with someone you know. Don't.

They took a new job. The company has its own pressures, filings and hiring patterns. Look at what the new company has said publicly about its priorities. Check the job posts on their new team. Read the last earnings release if it's public.

That work turns "Hey, congrats, let's catch up" into a message that shows you understand their new situation. It's the same 3x3 research you'd do for a stranger. The difference is they'll actually read it.

What to send

Keep it personal and short. Acknowledge the history in one line. Then do what you'd do for any buyer. Name what you see, connect it to their seat and guess the problem.

Say your former champion ran data engineering at a retailer where your team rebuilt the analytics platform. She's just joined a consumer goods company as head of data, and the company's last 10-K talks about consolidating systems from two acquisitions.

Congrats on the move. I saw the new company's 10-K talks about pulling two acquired businesses onto one data platform, which sounds a lot like the retail rebuild, only messier. My guess is you've walked into reporting that doesn't match across the business units and a team that's still split by old company lines. Is that close, or is it something else?

That message works. It's short, it uses shared history without leaning on it and it asks a real question.

What not to do

Don't ask for business in the first note. They know what you sell. Asking outright puts them in an awkward spot in a job they just started.

Don't assume they'll bring you in. They might have strong relationships with other firms, or a new boss who already picked partners. Respect that.

And don't forget the account they left. When a champion leaves, your old client has a gap. That's its own problem to manage, covered in your champion just left. You can work both sides at once.

Track them before they move

The best way to catch this signal is to know who your champions are before they leave. Keep a list of every person who sponsored or meaningfully supported your work in the last few years. Check where they are every month or so.

LinkedIn will tell you when they move. Your job is to notice and act inside the window.

And stay in touch between moves. A former champion who hasn't heard from you in three years is a weaker path than one you've sent a useful article to twice a year. The buying signals guide puts this signal in context with the others.

Reach the rest of their committee

Your champion opens the door. They're not the whole committee.

At the new company, they'll have a boss, peers and a technical team. Ask your champion who else should be in the conversation. They'll usually tell you, and that intro carries their credibility with it.

Treat every past champion as a future account. The ones who trusted you once are the easiest people in the world to help again.