Your champion says yes. Who can actually buy?
A Quayline champion wants to sign this month. The budget owner has not seen the proposal.
The question
You are preparing the opportunity update. Fictional buyer statements are the only available deal evidence.
- Operations championI want this. My VP controls the budget.
- VP assistantThe VP can meet next Tuesday; no budget has been allocated yet.
- ProcurementSecurity review starts after the data scope is supplied. It normally takes ten business days, with no guaranteed finish date.
- Sales managerCan we put this in commit for Friday?
“State the forecast, the missing approvals, and a next step that the champion can help secure.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Separate support from authority
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Identify the economic decision
The strong move. Support is useful evidence of interest, not purchasing authority.
Treat champion enthusiasm as approval
Tempting, but it misses something. The packet names a different budget owner.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The champion supports the project but does not control the budget. The VP has neither reviewed nor funded it. I would keep those facts distinct in the opportunity record.”
Why it works: Support is useful evidence of interest, not purchasing authority.
Step 2: Ask for access with purpose
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Request a VP meeting without the champion
Tempting, but it misses something. Bypassing a helpful contact can damage trust without securing a decision.
Build a joint decision meeting
The strong move. The champion remains a partner in the buying process.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would ask the champion to co-host Tuesday with the VP, using an agreed problem and value summary. The purpose is to establish priority, budget and the conditions for approval.”
Why it works: The champion remains a partner in the buying process.
Step 3: Map the paper process
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Record owners and dependencies
The strong move. An approval sequence can extend beyond the desired sales date.
Assume security finishes Friday
Tempting, but it misses something. Security has not started and has no guaranteed completion date.
See how a strong candidate says it
“We need a data-scope owner before security can start, then procurement terms and the signing authority. I would document each owner, dependency and buyer-confirmed date; ten business days is a planning estimate, not a promise.”
Why it works: An approval sequence can extend beyond the desired sales date.
Step 4: Defend the forecast
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Commit the deal for Friday
Tempting, but it misses something. A seller’s month-end target does not shorten buyer approvals.
Keep timing uncommitted
The strong move. The forecast must match buyer evidence.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would not commit this Friday. Budget is absent, the VP meeting is next Tuesday, and security has not started. I would publish those gaps and update timing only after buyer-confirmed progress.”
Why it works: The forecast must match buyer evidence.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Do not commit Friday; secure a budget and approval-path discussion.
- Because
- The budget owner has not decided and security cannot yet start.
- What would change it
- Confirmed budget, completed approvals and an authorized signing date would justify a new forecast.
Common traps
- Calling every enthusiastic contact a decision maker.
- Treating a normal review duration as a guaranteed finish date.
Check your answer
- Did you name the VP’s budget authority?
- Does the champion have a constructive role in the next meeting?
- Are security and procurement dependencies recorded?
- Did you reject the unsupported Friday commit?
Last reviewed Nov 10, 2026