If you manage customer accounts—whether you're in sales, customer success, or revenue ops—you know the gold’s in the accounts you already have. Upsell opportunities are everywhere, but spotting the real ones (and not wasting hours chasing ghosts) is the hard part. This guide is for folks who want to use data from Champify to find actual upsell chances—minus the hand-wavy promises or buzzword soup.
Let's get practical about what works, what doesn’t, and how to use Champify to make your job easier (not more complicated).
Why Focus on Existing Accounts?
You probably already know the stats: it's way easier (and more profitable) to sell to someone who knows you than to hunt new logos. But most teams still default to cold outreach and ignore their own backyard. Why? Usually because it’s a mess to track which customers are ready for more.
That’s where Champify fits in. It promises to surface key contacts and moments in your CRM where you might have a real shot at upsell—if you know how to use it right.
How Champify Claims to Help—and Where You Need to Be Skeptical
Champify says it can:
- Identify “champions” (your best contacts) who’ve moved into new roles or companies.
- Surface internal account changes that could signal buying intent, like new decision-makers or org shifts.
- Integrate with your CRM to give you a feed of upsell-worthy events.
All of that can be useful, but only if you’re clear-eyed about what data matters, and if you avoid getting lost in noise.
Here’s what works: - Tracking champion job changes. When your internal supporter gets promoted or moves, it’s a real reason to reach out. - Getting alerts when new execs join. New leadership often means new budgets and projects.
What doesn’t work or isn’t worth your time: - Chasing every tiny contact update. Not every new hire or title change means opportunity. - Relying solely on automation—these are signals, not silver bullets.
Step-by-Step: Using Champify to Spot Real Upsell Opportunities
Let’s break down a practical workflow. You don’t need to be a power user to get value. Here’s how to start.
1. Get Champify Set Up and Synced With Your CRM
Before you do anything, make sure your CRM is clean-ish. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Connect Champify to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.).
- Map your key account and contact fields. Be sure you’re syncing the right stuff (job titles, account owners, last outreach, etc.).
- Set up user permissions so your sales and CS teams see what they need, not a firehose.
Pro tip: Spend 30 minutes cleaning your top 20 accounts before you start. Fix missing emails, tag your actual champions, and archive dead contacts.
2. Identify and Tag Your True Champions
You probably know who your advocates are. Tag them in your CRM if you haven’t already.
- Use Champify’s suggestions to catch folks you missed.
- Don’t overthink it: focus on contacts who’ve bought from you, championed you internally, or have influence.
- Avoid tagging every warm body—better a short, real list than a long, messy one.
3. Set Up Triggers for Key Signals (Don’t Go Overboard)
Here’s where most teams screw up: they track too much. Focus on signals that actually lead to conversations:
- Your champion gets a promotion or moves to a new department.
- A new exec joins one of your accounts.
- The account gets new funding or launches a new division (if Champify can track this—sometimes it can, sometimes not).
Configure alerts for just these. Ignore triggers like “contact updated their LinkedIn photo” or “someone changed their phone number.” That’s noise.
4. Build a Simple Workflow for Acting on Signals
Great—you’ve got signals. Now what?
- Designate who owns follow-ups (account manager, CSM, sales rep).
- Have a templated outreach message ready—don’t wing it, but don’t be robotic either.
- Log every action in the CRM. If you reach out and hear crickets, snooze the contact for a couple months. Don’t spam.
Real talk: If you’re getting too many signals and not enough real conversations, tighten your filters. It’s better to get five quality signals a week than 50 fake ones.
5. Add Context Before You Reach Out
Champify gives you a signal, but you still need to do some homework.
- Check LinkedIn or company news to see what’s actually changed. Did your champion get a real promotion, or just a title inflation?
- Look for recent activity: Have they opened your emails? Engaged with support?
- When in doubt, ask your CS team—they usually spot account shifts before any software.
Don’t fire off a generic upsell pitch. Reference the actual change (“Saw you’ve moved up to VP—congrats! Wondering if your new team has projects we can help with?”).
6. Track Outcomes and Adjust
You won’t get it perfect the first time. Set aside time every month to review:
- Which signals led to meetings or pipeline?
- Where did you get ghosted?
- Which triggers are just noise?
Tweak your signal settings and outreach process as you learn. If you’re not seeing ROI, scale back on signals or try a different outreach approach.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
- Overly broad triggers: “Contact updated profile” is almost never useful.
- Blindly trusting AI recommendations: They’re a starting point, not gospel.
- Upsell-at-all-costs pressure: Don’t burn trust by pitching every time there’s a minor change. Sometimes the best move is to congratulate and wait.
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of Champify
- Start small. Pilot with a handful of accounts. Don’t roll out org-wide until you know what works.
- Tie alerts to real business events. New funding, acquisitions, or product launches are much stronger signals than random HR churn.
- Measure what matters. Track meetings booked and deals created, not just emails sent.
- Keep your CRM tidy. Upsell signals are only as good as your data. If your contact info is stale, you’ll chase your own tail.
- Work with your CS team. They know the account pulse better than any tool.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Alert fatigue: If your team starts ignoring Champify notifications, you’re tracking too much. Prune your triggers.
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t wait for the “perfect” signal. It doesn’t exist. Use what you’ve got, test, and adjust.
- Neglecting the human angle: Software can’t replace genuine relationships. Use Champify as a prompt, not a crutch.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
There’s no magic upsell button—just better ways to spot and act on signals you’d otherwise miss. Champify can help, but only if you use it with a clear head and a bias for action. Start with a few strong triggers, tie outreach to real events, and tune as you go.
Don’t get fancy. The best teams keep it simple, learn what works, and double down. That’s how you find real upsell opportunities—without drowning in noise or burning out your team.