Sales cycles feel like they’re getting longer by the day. Prospects are cautious, buying committees are huge, and social proof matters more than ever. If you want to cut through the noise and keep deals moving, targeted advocate campaigns are one of the few things that actually make a difference. This guide is for sales and marketing folks who want to use real customer voices — not just generic case studies — to speed up the deal cycle. We’ll focus on how to do that using Deeto, but most of these principles apply anywhere.
Let’s skip the fluff and get into what works.
1. Know What an Advocate Campaign Actually Is (and Isn’t)
Before you start, let’s get clear on what a targeted advocate campaign is. In plain English: it’s using happy customers, in specific ways, to convince prospects who are stuck.
Not what it is: - Mass-blasting generic testimonials to everyone on your list. - Hoping a “logo wall” on your site moves the needle.
What it is: - Finding the right advocate (customer) for the right prospect. - Facilitating actual conversations or content that matters to the deal. - Keeping it personal and relevant, not just “Look at our NPS!”
If you’re looking for a silver bullet, this isn’t it. But if you want to shorten sales cycles for real, keep going.
2. Identify Where Advocacy Will Actually Move the Needle
Don’t waste time setting up advocate campaigns for every single deal. Focus where advocacy has a shot at accelerating things:
- Late-stage deals: When prospects are stalling or stuck on trust.
- Competitive bake-offs: When you’re up against big names, and need proof.
- New markets or industries: Where you’re still building credibility.
- Objection handling: When the same doubts come up again and again.
Ignore: - Early-stage leads who barely know what you do. - Prospects who just want a demo, not a real conversation.
Pro tip: Ask your sales team which objections or stalls keep coming up. That’s where advocates can help most.
3. Build (and Update) Your Advocate Pool in Deeto
This is the unglamorous part, but it’s where most campaigns fail. Deeto makes it easy to manage your customer advocates, but you have to put in the work upfront.
How to build your pool:
- Start small: You don’t need dozens. 5–10 solid advocates is plenty at first.
- Pick variety: Get different industries, roles, and use cases if you can.
- Ask for honest feedback: Not every happy customer wants to be an advocate. Only recruit those who genuinely like your product and are willing to help.
In Deeto:
- Import your advocate data (roles, company size, industry, strengths).
- Tag advocates with what they’re best at (e.g., “security,” “fast onboarding,” “integration with X”).
- Set up a cadence for checking in — stale advocate lists are a waste of everyone’s time.
What doesn’t work: Nagging folks who aren’t interested, or using advocates who are burned out or haven’t used your product in months.
4. Segment Your Prospects (Targeting Matters More Than Volume)
Don’t treat all prospects the same. The magic happens when you match advocates to prospects who share:
- Similar industries
- Company size
- Pain points
- Tech stack
In Deeto, use segmentation features to line up the right advocates for each segment. If you’re not specific, your “advocate campaign” will just add noise.
What to ignore: Vanity targeting like “C-level only” or “big logos.” Focus on relevance, not status.
5. Craft the Outreach — Be Human, Not Robotic
The best advocate campaigns don’t feel like marketing automation. Here’s what actually gets a response:
- Personalize the message: Reference the specific challenge or objection.
- Be transparent: Let the prospect know you want to connect them with a real user, not a paid shill.
- Offer options: Some folks want a quick email. Others want a call. Let them choose.
Example outreach:
“I noticed you’re evaluating us for [X use case], and you mentioned concerns about onboarding. Would you like to chat with [Advocate Name] from [Company], who went through the same process last quarter? No pressure — just a candid conversation.”
What to skip: Long-winded intros, overhyped claims, or pushing too hard. If it feels salesy, it won’t work.
6. Set Up Campaigns in Deeto
Here’s the nuts and bolts of doing this in Deeto:
- Create a new advocate campaign: Use Deeto’s campaign builder.
- Define your target audience: Upload or connect your CRM to pull in the right segment.
- Choose advocates: Filter your pool based on the prospect’s industry, pain points, or objections.
- Set up touchpoints: Decide if you want to offer email intros, live calls, or recorded stories.
- Customize your messaging: Use Deeto’s templates, but always tweak for the real situation.
- Automate reminders (but don’t overdo it): Deeto lets you nudge advocates and prospects, but too many pings will annoy everyone.
- Monitor responses: Track who’s engaging, and be ready to step in if things stall.
What works: Keeping things low-friction for both advocates and prospects. One or two touchpoints, not a whole “journey.”
7. Make It Easy for Advocates (or They’ll Stop Participating)
Your advocates are doing you a favor. Respect their time:
- Pre-brief them on the prospect’s background and likely questions.
- Use Deeto to schedule or facilitate calls — don’t force endless email chains.
- Offer a light thank-you: a handwritten note, a charity donation, or just public recognition.
- Don’t ask them to “sell.” They should just share their honest experience.
What to ignore: Over-the-top incentives. If someone needs a big gift card to talk, they’re not the right advocate.
8. Measure (But Don’t Overcomplicate) the Results
You don’t need a 20-page dashboard. Focus on:
- Deal velocity: Are deals with advocate touchpoints closing faster?
- Conversion rate: Are more prospects moving to the next stage?
- Advocate fatigue: Are the same folks getting tapped too often?
Deeto’s reporting can show you the basics. If you’re not seeing an impact after a few campaigns, tweak your targeting or messaging.
What to skip: Trying to tie every single closed deal directly to advocacy. This stuff is a multiplier, not a magic wand.
9. Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
Let’s be honest — most advocate campaigns fail for boring reasons:
- Stale advocate pools: If you don’t update your list, you’ll burn out your best folks.
- Generic outreach: If your message could go to anyone, it’ll land with no one.
- Over-automation: Personal touches still matter. Don’t let Deeto do everything.
- Ignoring advocate feedback: Listen if they say a certain intro isn’t working.
None of this is rocket science. It just requires care and consistency.
10. Iterate, Don’t Overthink
Don’t try to build a “perfect” advocate campaign out of the gate. Start with a handful of relevant matches, see what works, and adjust. The tools in Deeto are there to make this easier, but the real work is in staying close to your customers and your prospects.
If you keep it simple, stay relevant, and treat your advocates well, you’ll see deals move faster — and you won’t have to rely on empty hype.
Go build something useful, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually accelerate deal cycles.