FEATURED POST An Expert’s Guide to the MEDDIC Sales Process You have most probably heard of the terms MEDDIC, MEDDICC and MEDDPICC, used interchangeably within the B2B sales training sphere throughout the last few decades – but what do they mean, where do they originate, and why have they proven so successful as a sales methodology for so long? Join us as we unpack the MEDDIC sales process; who created MEDDIC, how to use it within your sales teams, what makes it so effective, and what types of questions you should use with the technique. This guide will aim to not only help you and your sales team understand the fundamentals of the MEDDIC sales process, but also make use of practical examples and techniques to upskill, qualify leads and close deals effectively. What is MEDDIC and What Does It Stand For? So what is the MEDDIC sales process and who invented MEDDIC? MEDDIC is an acronym for a sales framework or methodology created in 1996 by Dick Dunkel while working at PTC (Parametric Technology Corporation). Dunkel aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the sales teams and, upon examining why PTC was winning, losing, or delaying deals, he identified six key factors common to all outcomes. These factors were encapsulated in the acronym MEDDIC. With the support of John McMahon, PTC’s Chief Revenue Officer, and Jack Napoli, known as ‘The Godfather of MEDDIC,’ this methodology quickly spread beyond PTC, influencing thousands of sales teams globally. MEDDIC stands for; Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion. MEDDPICC is a variation of MEDDIC that has evolved to include a P that stands for Paper Process and an additional C that stands for Competition. (Learn more about the difference between MEDDIC and MEDDPICC in sales.) Metrics Metrics refer to the relevant, quantifiable outcomes that a prospect aims to achieve. These could be revenue growth, cost savings, or any other measurable result that aligns with the prospect’s specific industry and goals. The best MEDDIC questions to uncover metrics might include: What are your primary business objectives for this year? Can you quantify the potential impact of solving this problem? What metrics will determine the success of this project? For example, for a web hosting company, promising a metric of increased page load times of 12% isn’t adding that much. You need to identify what their biggest pain point is and tie that to measurable metrics that make a difference to them, not just something that sounds good in a pitch. Use metrics in storytelling to showcase how you have solved a client’s problem before, giving metrics that show how the problem was solved. Economic Buyer The Economic Buyer is the person with the authority to make purchasing decisions. More than just buying power though, they have the knowledge, perspective, understanding, and energy to commit to a meaningful purchase. Identifying this individual early in the sales process is crucial. Questions to identify the Economic Buyer include: Who will be responsible for the final decision on this purchase? What is the approval process for investments of this nature? Who else will be involved in the decision-making process? Decision Criteria Decision Criteria are the specific factors that influence the prospect’s purchasing decision. Understanding these criteria helps tailor the sales pitch. The best MEDDIC questions to determine Decision Criteria include: What are the key factors you consider when making a purchase decision? How do you prioritise these criteria? What are the most important features you are looking for in a solution? Decision Process The Decision Process outlines the steps the prospect will take to make a purchasing decision. Knowing this process helps in aligning sales activities accordingly. These fall into three categories: Technical: Can the solution meet technical needs? Is it easy to implement and secure? Is the interface user-friendly? Economic: Does it offer a strong ROI? What are the financial and resource costs? Relationship: Does the customer trust and want to work with you? Are their goals aligned with your solution? If the customer already has clear Decision Criteria, ensure your solution aligns well with them. If not, use this opportunity to highlight the strengths of your solution. Either way, it must not be forced – the salesperson must link their value proposition to the Decision Criteria, adapting it to emphasise unique or different strengths. Additional questions to help map out the MEDDIC Decision Process can include: Can you walk me through your decision-making process? What are the key milestones in this process? Are there any potential roadblocks we should be aware of? Identify Pain Identifying Pain means just that; it involves understanding the challenges and issues the prospect is facing that your product or service can solve. MEDDIC as an organisation now also includes “Indicate” and “Implicate” as part of this, meaning to delve even deeper into exactly how and why the pain points affect the client or prospect, with the idea to be better informed to ease the pain. MEDDIC questions to uncover pain points include: What are the biggest challenges you are currently facing? How do these challenges impact your business? What have you done so far to address these issues? Unlock your buyer’s true pain points with open-ended discovery questions, instead of jumping to conclusions from the first meeting. Engage in genuine, holistic conversations that let your buyer reveal their challenges and obstacles. This approach allows you to dive deeper into the underlying causes and structures of these issues. By truly understanding the business’s pain points, you set the stage to identify and build relationships with your Champions. Champion A Champion is a respected stakeholder within the prospect’s organisation who is literally championing on your behalf – an ally and advocate who supports your solution and helps navigate the internal decision-making process. They do this because they also have a vested interest in your success. Identifying and then cultivating this relationship is crucial. According to MEDDIC, a Champion is someone who: Has Power and Influence Is selling internally for you Has a vested interest in your success Questions you can ask yourself to identify and develop a Champion include: Who within the organisation stands to benefit most from our solution? Who can influence the decision-making process in our favour? How can we help them advocate for our solution internally? How MEDDIC Enhances B2B Sales Qualification MEDDIC enhances B2B sales qualification by ensuring that sales teams focus on the most critical aspects of the sales process. By rigorously qualifying leads based on Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion, sales professionals can better allocate their time and resources, resulting in higher close rates and more efficient sales cycles. MEDDIC Sales Discovery Questions: The Foundation of Effective Qualification Importance of Asking the Right Questions We’ve gone through some of these questions earlier, but let’s distil them for each component. For any sales team, asking the right questions is fundamental to gaining the benefits of the MEDDIC sales process. Effective MEDDIC discovery questions help uncover the prospect’s needs, pain points, and decision-making criteria, enabling sales professionals to tailor their approach and offer the most relevant solutions. Effective Discovery Questions for Each MEDDIC Component Metrics: What are your key performance indicators for this project? How will you measure success? Economic Buyer: Who has the final say in the purchasing decision? What is their main concern? Decision Criteria: What are the top three factors influencing your decision? How do you compare different solutions? Decision Process: What are the steps you take before making a purchase? Who needs to be consulted? Identify Pain: What challenges are you trying to solve? How have these issues affected your business? Champion: Who is the biggest supporter of this project within your organisation? How can we assist them in advocating for our solution? How to Tailor Questions to Different Industries and Buyer Personas Probably the most crucial aspect of relating to any person, industry or stakeholder is to become as knowledgeable as possible about them. This goes deeper than knowing industry standards, terms or operating procedures. It requires an empathic point of view from the get-go, showing to the customer that they are more than just another buyer persona or collection of data points. While gathering data and insights on specific industries and personas is crucial, it is but the starting point, and not the only way to tailor your questions and therefore, your approach to selling. Tailoring MEDDIC sales questions to different industries and buyer personas involves understanding the specific needs and challenges of each sector. For example, in the technology industry, questions might focus on integration capabilities and scalability, while in healthcare, questions might centre around compliance and patient outcomes. Asking a sustainability business about their ROI for instance, would not get you the same response as asking about their concerns on new UN climate change regulations. Implementing MEDDIC in Your Sales Strategy Steps to Integrate MEDDIC into Existing Sales Processes Here is a rundown of actionable steps to take to begin introducing MEDDIC methodologies into a sales strategy. Educate Your Team: Start by training your sales team on the MEDDIC methodology, ensuring they understand its components and benefits. Develop a Playbook: Create a MEDDIC-based sales playbook that outlines the process, questions, and best practices for each stage of the sales cycle. Incorporate MEDDIC into CRM: Ensure your CRM system supports the MEDDIC framework by including fields and workflows that align with each component. Regular Reviews: Conduct regular pipeline reviews and deal clinics to reinforce the use of MEDDIC and provide feedback on its implementation. Creating a MEDDIC-Based Sales Playbook A MEDDIC-based sales playbook should include at least the following: An overview of the MEDDIC methodology Detailed descriptions and examples of each MEDDIC component MEDDIC discovery questions tailored to different industries and buyer personas Case studies and success stories to illustrate the effectiveness of MEDDIC Templates and tools for tracking and measuring MEDDIC-related activities Training Your Team on MEDDIC Principles Using the MEDDIC framework should be comprehensive and ongoing, including initial workshops, regular refresher sessions, and practical exercises. Role-playing scenarios can be particularly effective in helping sales professionals internalise the MEDDIC methodology and apply it in real-world situations. Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them Common challenges in implementing MEDDIC include resistance to change, lack of understanding, and inconsistent application. To overcome these challenges: Communicate Benefits: Clearly articulate the benefits of MEDDIC to your sales team. Show them metrics and past wins as motivation. Provide Support: Offer continuous support and coaching to help sales professionals master the methodology. Monitor Progress: Regularly review progress and provide constructive feedback to ensure consistent application. Advanced MEDDIC Techniques Using MEDDIC for Account Planning and Strategic Selling MEDDIC can be used beyond lead qualification for account planning and strategic selling. By applying MEDDIC principles to account planning, sales teams can identify growth opportunities, develop strategic account plans, and build stronger relationships with key stakeholders. Combining MEDDIC with Other Sales Methodologies MEDDIC can be combined with other sales methodologies, such as SPIN Selling and the Challenger Sale, to create a more comprehensive sales strategy. For example, using SPIN Selling’s situation, problem, implication, and need-payoff questions can enhance the discovery process within the MEDDIC framework. Adapting MEDDIC for Different Sales Cycles and Deal Sizes MEDDIC is flexible and can be adapted for different sales cycles and deal sizes. For shorter sales cycles, focus on the most critical MEDDIC components, such as identifying the Economic Buyer and Pain points. For larger deals, a more detailed application of all MEDDIC elements may be necessary. MEDDIC Throughout the Sales Process How to Use MEDDIC at Different Stages of the Sales Process MEDDIC can be applied at various stages of the sales process: Prospecting: Use MEDDIC criteria to qualify leads early and focus on high-potential prospects. Initial Contact: Ask discovery questions to understand the prospect’s needs and pain points. Needs Assessment: Align your solution with the prospect’s Decision Criteria and Metrics. Proposal/Solution Presentation: Ensure your proposal addresses the identified Pain and meets the Decision Criteria. Negotiation: Leverage your relationship with the Champion to navigate the negotiation process. Closing: Confirm that all MEDDIC components are addressed before finalising the deal. Techniques Used for Each Stage Prospecting: Use lead scoring and qualification criteria based on MEDDIC. Initial Contact: Develop a script with MEDDIC discovery questions. Needs Assessment: Conduct in-depth meetings to gather detailed information on Metrics, Pain, and Decision Criteria. Proposal/Solution Presentation: Tailor your presentation to highlight how your solution meets the identified needs and decision criteria. Negotiation: Collaborate with the Champion to address any concerns and finalise terms. Closing: Review all MEDDIC components to ensure nothing is overlooked and gain commitment. Measuring Success with the MEDDIC Sales Process Key Performance Indicators for MEDDIC Implementation Key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of MEDDIC implementation include: Lead conversion rate Sales cycle length Average deal size Win rate Customer satisfaction Forecast accuracy How to Track and Improve Your MEDDIC Sales Process Tracking and improving your MEDDIC sales process involves: Regularly reviewing pipeline and deal progress using MEDDIC criteria Gathering feedback from the sales team on the effectiveness of the methodology Identifying areas for improvement and providing additional training or resources Analysing KPIs to measure the impact of MEDDIC and make data-driven adjustments Tools and Software to Support MEDDIC Execution Several tools and software can support MEDDIC execution, including: CRM systems with MEDDIC integration (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) Sales enablement platforms (e.g., Seismic, Highspot) Analytics and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) MEDDIC Case Study Examples: Success Stories from UK Businesses Fastmarkets Case Study Overview: Fastmarkets implemented MEDDIC to improve their sales metrics and KPIs. The results were impressive, with Average Order Value (AOV) from new customers increasing by 24% and cross-sell revenue by 147%. Testimonial: “Since Fastmarkets started working with Flow State, they have seen improvements in several key revenue performance areas. Churn almost halved, dropping from 11% to 6.4%, a proportional decrease of over 47%. Additionally, the training improved the reliability of the sales pipeline and the ability to predict future sales, with forecast accuracy increasing by 14%.” Jato Dynamics Case Study Overview: Jato Dynamics adopted MEDDIC as a global opportunity qualification methodology to increase opportunity quality and velocity while shortening the sales cycle. Testimonial: “Flow State’s MEDDIC training helped our teams understand how to embed the framework into pipeline reviews and establish a common language around deals. The implementation of MEDDIC deal scorecards allowed sales managers to assess pipeline health more precisely, leading to improved sales forecasting accuracy. The weekly deal clinics provided valuable coaching, driving adoption of best practices across regions.” Lessons Learned and Best Practices from Successful MEDDIC Adopters Successful adopters of MEDDIC highlight the importance of: Comprehensive training and ongoing support Customising MEDDIC to fit the organisation’s specific needs Regularly reviewing and refining the process Leveraging internal champions to drive adoption Upskill Your Team With The MEDDIC Sales Process As time and successful accounts have shown, the MEDDIC sales process is a powerful tool for B2B sales teams looking to improve lead qualification and close rates. By focusing on the key components of Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion, sales professionals can better understand their prospects and tailor their approach to meet specific needs. Next Steps: To get started with MEDDIC, consider implementing the methodology in your sales process, developing a MEDDIC-based playbook, and training your team on its principles. For more information and support, explore our MEDDIC sales training course and check out our sales training case studies for real-world success stories. Alternatively, if you’re still learning about what qualifying is in sales, why not contact our team and we’ll discuss your sales training needs with you.