Definition
CHAMP is a sales checklist for deciding whether a lead is worth a call. It checks four things in order: Challenges, who has the Authority to say yes, the Money they can spend, and their Prioritization (how high it ranks). Starting with the problem shows a small business first whether it can help.
What is the CHAMP sales framework?
CHAMP is a way to decide whether a lead is worth a call. It asks about four things, in this order: Challenges, Authority, Money, and Prioritization. It is not the same as BANT, which asks about budget first and puts the need third.
In a large company, each letter can point to a different person: a buyer, a boss who signs, and a team that owns the budget. A homeowner or a founder is one person. They have the problem, hold the money, and pick the date.
How does CHAMP work without a buying committee?
Each letter still applies. It asks a smaller question.
| Letter | In a large company | For a homeowner | For a founder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenges | The problem a team is paying to fix | What is broken, leaking, or getting worse | What is holding the business back, like a site that brings no inquiries |
| Authority | A named buyer and a chain of sign-offs | Often a partner, or a landlord if they rent | Usually the founder, sometimes a co-founder |
| Money | An approved budget | A rough range, like $2,500 to $5,000 | Cash they can spend this quarter |
| Prioritization | Where it ranks among projects | How soon it has to be fixed | What else needs the same time and money |
Authority changes most. For one person, the useful question is not "Who signs?" It is "Does anyone else need to agree?" A tenant is not a worse lead, only one who needs approval.
Asking about this outright can feel rude, so it is often better to listen for it. In Qualiform, a question set to Infer only is never asked directly. The AI fills it in from clues, such as "I will have to run it past my partner," or leaves it blank. So nobody is asked who is in charge.
What does CHAMP look like for a homeowner or a founder?
These are example questions, one for each letter. A plumber talking to a homeowner might ask:
- Challenges: What is going on with the pipes?
- Authority: Do you own the home, or rent it?
- Money: Do you have a rough amount in mind?
- Prioritization: Is water coming through right now, or can it wait a week?
A design studio talking to a founder might ask:
- Challenges: What should the new site do that the old one does not?
- Authority: Is anyone else deciding with you?
- Money: Do you have a rough range, like $5,000 to $10,000?
- Prioritization: Is there a date the site has to be live by?
A burst pipe in an owned home is a strong fit on every letter. A slow drip in a rented apartment still deserves a prompt, kind reply. It may need to wait for the landlord.
To turn answers like these into a number, see lead scoring, or follow the guide to qualifying leads from your contact form.
Common questions
Do small businesses need a sales framework like CHAMP?
Not as a formal process. A small business only needs the four questions behind it, asked the same way every time, so two inquiries can be compared fairly.
Should a contact form ask all four CHAMP questions?
Only the ones that change what you do next. Asking about the problem and the timing is often enough. Who else has a say can usually be worked out from what the person says.
Which CHAMP letter matters most for a small service business?
Usually Challenges. If the problem is not one you solve, the other three letters do not matter. Money and timing come next. Authority matters least when one person decides.