Mastering the MEDDPICC sales methodology: a step-by-step guide

Mastering the MEDDPICC sales methodology: a step-by-step guide

Let's say you're a sales representative involved in complex sales. What would be your favorite sales framework to close more deals? If it's not MEDDPICC, let me try to change your mind. Ready to become a sales legend? Let's dive in!

What is MEDDPICC?

MEDDPICC is a sales methodology usually used in complex B2B sales cycles. It’s a robust framework designed to enhance sales efficiency and effectiveness. MEDDPICC acronym stands for Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Paper process, Implication of pain, Champion, and Competition. This comprehensive approach helps sales teams navigate complex sales cycles, qualify prospects, and close deals more effectively.

the results of a survey on the use of the BANT, MEDDIC MEDDPICC, CHAMP and SPICED frameworks

MEDDPICC: Sales Process and Methodology

Before diving into the specific details of MEDDPICC, it's important to understand its main role as a sales guide—a tool to help you navigate through various sales opportunities. This system is based on the idea that without a clear and consistent way to qualify leads, deals can easily go off course.

Metrics: The Business Driver

MEDDPICC is one of the most famous and reliable frameworks. It guides sales teams through deal complexities towards successful outcomes and offers a practical approach to align sales discussions with the buyer's goals, ensuring that each interaction is meaningful. By regularly assessing your position based on these key factors, you not only evaluate your prospects but also develop a sales plan that truly connects.

1. Measure the Economic Impact with "Metrics"

The first step in employing Metrics is to identify the critical metrics that represent decisive outcomes for your prospect's business. This could be increasing revenue by a specific percentage, improving operational efficiency, or reducing costs. To plunge deeper into this dimension, sales reps need to pose pertinent questions during their discovery calls, such as:

  • "If you had the best implementation possible, what would that mean for your KPIs?"
  • "What business metrics are you currently focusing on?"
  • "How would our solution impact these metrics?"

By aligning the sales process with these fundamental business drivers, you transform the conversation from features and benefits to direct business value.

2. Economic Buyer: Securing the Signature

Who signs the contract? Do we know the name and title? Have we met them?

The E in MEDDPICC focuses on the economic buyer—the individual who has the authority to sign the contract and is vested in the financial implications of the deal. They are not just the decision-makers but the decision shapers, as their involvement influences the direction and scope of the deal.

Identifying and engaging with the economic buyer is pivotal to ensuring deal advancement. Key questions include:

  • "Who do you usually include in the process when evaluating a vendor?"
  • "Will you be the one signing off on the decision to find a new solution?"
  • "Who would we need to involve to get signoff?"

3. Decision Criteria: The Customer's Lens

How are they evaluating us? What do they need to see to move forward with us? What would make them choose us over the competition?

MEDDPICC’s Decision Criteria demands that sales professionals comprehend the evaluative measures that customers use while considering a purchase. It’s about understanding the buyer’s playing field and what winning looks like to them.

Questions to ask as an AE to get Decision Criteria:

  • "What are the features you'd need to see to feel comfortable moving forward with us?"
  • "How will you be evaluating new solutions and what would we need to prove out during the process?"
  • "What would make you choose us over the competition?"

4. Decision Process: Mapping the Buying Journey

What’s the buying process when evaluating a vendor? Why now? What are the typical steps? Does the process need to be validated with multiple departments? What is the compelling event?

In the world of B2B sales, the buying process is often as intricate as the sales process. The Decision Process in MEDDPICC mandates that a sales rep must comprehend the customer’s unique purchasing system. This involves understanding the steps, stakeholders, and timeline involved in evaluating and making a decision.

Questions to ask as an AE to get Decision Process:

  • "What does the buying process typically look like for you?"
  • "Who is usually involved in purchasing a solution and what would they need to see/do to move forward?"

5. Paper Process: The Legal and Procurement Hurdles

To get a signed contract, what is the process? Who is involved? What does each party need to do/see to sign off? What internal hurdles are anticipated?

The Paper Process in MEDDPICC tackles the nuts and bolts of bringing a deal to fruition. From navigating legal and procurement hurdles to defining the steps leading to a signed contract, this segment ensures that sales reps have a clear understanding of the path toward closure.

Questions to ask as an AE to get Paper Process:

  • "What are the typical steps between agreement and signing?"
  • "Do you anticipate any hurdles in the buying process, possibly around legal or procurement?"
  • "What documentation or assurances do stakeholders require before proceeding?"

A robust approach to these inquiries prepares the sales team for a streamlined contract phase, thus reducing the risk of deals stalling at the finish line.

6. Identified Pain: The Source of Every Sale

What is the pain that we’re going to solve? What do they perceive to be the pain? Have we identified any other pains? How are we going to be prescriptive about the problem and solution? What happens if they don't do anything?

Without a pain point, there is no sale. "Identified Pain" in the MEDDPICC methodology challenges sales professionals to probe deep into the customer's needs and articulate the problem back to them in a way that resonates with urgency and importance.

Questions to ask as an AE to get Identified Pain:

  • "What problem are you trying to solve?"
  • "What’s the source of that problem?"
  • "Why hasn’t it been addressed before?"
  • "How is it impacting your organization?"
  • "How much longer can you afford to have the problem go unresolved?"

Relating to and effectively addressing the identified pain not only positions your solution as critical but also strengthens the foundation of the customer relationship.

7. Building a Champion: The Internal Advocate

Who is going to advocate internally for us? What are we doing to build a relationship with our champion? What can we do to empower our champion? How much influence does the champion have? Are they capable of selling on our behalf?

A Champion within the customer’s organization is invaluable. They are the ones who push for your solution, fight your battles when you're not there, and work toward building consensus among the decision-makers.

Questions to ask as an AE to identify the champion:

  • "Who within your team is most excited about our solution?"
  • "How can we equip this individual to be an effective ambassador?"
  • "What support does your internal advocate need from us to champion our cause?"

By nurturing a reliable champion, you extend the influence of your sales team within the customer's domain, significantly boosting your probability of success.

8. Navigating the Sea of Competition

Who are the competitors? Who is our competitor’s champion? What is the strategy? What are they offering that we aren’t?

In a competitive market, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors is paramount. The "Competition" aspect of MEDDPICC equips sales reps with the knowledge to position their solution as the clear frontrunner.

Questions to ask as an AE to identify the competition:

  • "Are there any other vendors you’re considering?"
  • "What does their offer have that we might not?"
  • "In what areas do you feel we outperform our competitors?"
  • "What other vendors are you looking at and what would make you choose them over us?"

Sales teams can align their strengths with the customer's needs and tailor their value proposition to eclipse the competition.

Companies Using MEDDPICC in 2024

A lot of well-known companies are currently using this sales methodology. Among them:

Let’s Go Back to the Basics: What is the Real Purpose of MEDDPICC?

On the surface, the purpose of MEDDPICC is to provide a structured approach to complex sales, ensuring all critical aspects of the sales process are addressed.

But why? What do we really want to achieve?

Without a clear and consistent way to qualify leads, deals can easily go off course. Metrics: The Business Driver. This method helps sales professionals qualify leads more effectively, align solutions with customer needs, and increase the likelihood of closing deals (i.e., improve pipeline forecast accuracy).

3 Tips for Your Sales Process

  1. Tailor the Approach: Customize the framework to fit your specific industry and customer base. It’s not a “one size fits all”.
  2. Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular meetings to review each deal's status and address any gaps. This is also how you really do good sales enablement.
  3. Leverage Technology: Use CRM tools like Hubspot and Salesforce to track and analyze the components for each opportunity.

Benefits and Impact

The benefits of implementing the MEDDPICC methodology include:

  • Fostering good habits for better prospect qualification
  • Enhancing forecasting accuracy
  • Providing managers with visibility to assist reps in advancing deals
  • Aiding in defining strategies and agreeing on action items

Fostering Good Habits for Better Prospect Qualification

MEDDPICC can revolutionize your sales process by providing a clear, structured approach that enhances team performance and deal outcomes. This is particularly true for sales teams that never had any sales training before or lack structure in the qualification steps. (It happens more than you might think). By focusing on metrics, pain points, and decision criteria, it helps sales teams identify high-quality leads more effectively, reducing wasted effort on unqualified prospects.

Enhancing Forecasting Accuracy

Is this the CRO’s secret weapon in uncertain markets? This framework enables more accurate sales forecasting by providing detailed insights into each deal’s likelihood of closing, based on a thorough qualification process.

Providing Managers with Visibility to Assist Reps in Advancing Deals

This standardized process offers a consistent structure for evaluating deals, allowing managers to quickly identify which aspects of the deal are progressing well and which need attention.

It emphasizes measurable criteria, like Metrics and Economic Buyer, enabling data-driven insights for better decision-making and resource allocation.

Aiding in Defining Strategies and Agreeing on Action Items

MEDDPICC provides a common language and methodology, ensuring that sales teams and managers are aligned on strategic priorities.

Concrete Action Items: Each component outlines specific actions, facilitating clear, actionable steps and fostering accountability, thus improving collaboration and momentum in advancing deals.

Challenges and Best Practices

Challenges in Implementing MEDDPICC in RevOps

Let’s be honest. It’s not easy. If you’ve already done this, you might know that changing processes can be really challenging. This is usually due to human aspects:

  1. Resistance to Change: Overcoming team resistance to new processes.
  2. Training and Adoption: Ensuring comprehensive understanding and consistent application.
  3. Integration with Existing Systems: Seamlessly incorporating MEDDPICC into current workflows.

Best Practice: Aligning Teams with the Methodology

To properly align teams with this new framework, there is a secret: involve all stakeholders in the planning process. Then provide continuous training and foster a culture of open communication and feedback. Slack might be your best friend!

Pros and Cons of MEDDPICC

Pros

  • Provides a structured, repeatable sales process.
  • Enhances deal qualification and forecasting accuracy.
  • Improves lead quality and competitive positioning.

Cons

  • Requires significant training and adoption effort.
  • May be seen as too rigid if not adapted to specific contexts.

TIPS: 3 Things You’re Not Doing That are Must-Haves

  1. Leveraging Data Analytics: Use data analytics to gain deeper insights into each MEDDPICC component.
  2. Customizing the Approach: Adapt the methodology to suit your specific sales environment.
  3. Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and refine your approach based on performance data.

Implementation and Integration

Effective implementation involves thorough preparation, training, and continuous monitoring. Seems quite obvious. If you have a large sales team, start small, with pilot teams, and scale as you gain confidence and success.

How Can You Implement the MEDDPICC Methodology Within Your Sales Department?

  1. Assessment: Evaluate your current sales processes and identify gaps.
  2. Planning: Develop a detailed implementation plan with clear milestones.
  3. Training: Provide comprehensive training to ensure understanding and buy-in.
  4. Execution: Roll out the methodology in phases, starting with a pilot group.
  5. Review: Continuously monitor progress and gather feedback.
  6. Optimization: Refine the approach based on real-world results.
  7. Scaling: Extend the implementation to the entire sales team.
  8. Sustainability: Ensure ongoing support and improvement mechanisms are in place.
practical checklist to implement the MEDDPICC methodology within a sales department

Integrate the Framework into Existing Processes

One important thing to note is that any new process will fail if it's not seamlessly integrated with your current process. Add MEDDPICC into your existing CRM and sales tools, ensuring it complements rather than disrupts current workflows. Always think usability; don’t make things worse for sales (adding data to the CRM is already a pain).

funny meme showing how time consuming updating the CRM is for a sales representative

Comparison and Variations

MEDDPICC vs. MEDDIC: Is MEDDPICC the Same as MEDDIC?

As expected, MEDDPICC doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s built on the original MEDDIC framework. Two additional components were added: Paper Process and Competition. Those adjustments make it more comprehensive and suited to complex sales environments. So if someone ever asks you the question, “Is MEDDPICC the same as MEDDIC?”, “yes” might be the correct answer.

MEDDIC, MEDDICC or MEDDPICC? How to Decide Which One is Right for You?

One rule of thumb: the more letters you add, the better it will fit with complex sales. MEDDIC is suitable for simpler sales, while MEDDPICC is ideal for more complex, multi-stakeholder deals!

the differences between MEDDIC and MEDDPICC

Training and Certification

If you want to learn MEDDPICC, you have multiple choices. YouTube and Udemy will offer a good overview of the methodology without having to invest anything. More formal training and certification programs like the MEEDICC Academy will ensure that you and your team fully understand and can effectively implement MEDDPICC in a professional and competitive environment.

Historical Context

Who Created MEDDIC?

The MEDDIC framework was developed in the 1990s by Jack Napoli and Dick Dunkel at PTC, a software company. The goal was to improve sales efficiency and effectiveness.

And MEDDPICC?

MEDDPICC evolved from MEDDIC to address the growing complexity of sales processes, adding components to better manage intricate deals. It’s a recent and modern variation of MEDDIC, appearing in 2006, when Darius started offering training services branded MEDDIC & MEDDPICC.

Practical Tools and Examples

Template

The easiest way to create a template that includes all MEDDPICC components is by using a spreadsheet! Google Sheets, Excel, whatever tool you’re happy with.

8 rows for the 8 components and you’re good to go.

When everything is well crafted and adopted (and only then), it will be time to integrate it into your CRM.

8 custom properties, as simple as this.

Use ChatGPT to Review Your Call Transcriptions

You can leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to review and analyze sales call transcriptions, ensuring all MEDDPICC components are addressed. AIs are great tools to keep providing coaching and feedback to sales reps, as sales managers are not always available 100% of the time.

Decision Making and Suitability

Who Should Use the MEDDPICC Methodology? Is it a Good Fit for Your Sales Team?

We are being asked this question a lot! MEDDPICC is clearly not a one-size-fits-all. It’s ideal for sales teams dealing with complex, high-value deals involving multiple stakeholders and decision-makers. If you sell $10,000 (or more) ACV products or services and your sales cycles are longer than 3 months, then MEDDIC or MEDDPICC methodologies might be a good fit.

Reasons Why You Should NOT Use MEDDPICC

Consider alternatives if your sales process is relatively simple, or if your team is not ready for the significant training and process changes required.

TL;DR

MEDDPICC is a sales framework that helps sales organizations with complex sales prioritize opportunities for conversion. It ensures every deal is well qualified through:

  1. Metrics: Quantifiable goals that measure success, such as ROI or cost savings.
  2. Economic Buyer: The individual with the authority to make the purchasing decision.
  3. Decision Criteria: The factors that influence the buyer's decision, often including price, quality, and vendor reputation.
  4. Decision Process: The steps the buyer takes to make a decision, including who is involved and what approvals are needed.
  5. Paper Process: The administrative steps required to finalize the sale, including legal and procurement reviews.
  6. Identify Pain: Understanding the specific problems the prospect is facing that your solution can solve.
  7. Champion: An internal advocate who supports your solution and helps drive the deal forward.
  8. Competition: Awareness of other vendors competing for the same business and strategies to differentiate your solution.

Want your deals to move forward? 
Start asking your team: "what is the tally?"

Kickstart your journey towards sales actions that move deals forward. Drive deals to a successful close today.

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