How to Apply MEDDIC in 7 Easy Steps

Since the 1990s, MEDDIC has been a solid, reliable sales methodology used by reps all over the globe. 

In our thorough guide, we’ll give you an overview of the MEDDIC criteria, how it differs from MEDDPICC, its pros and cons, and how industry leaders can achieve at-scale implementation across the board. 

What Is the MEDDIC Sales Methodology?

MEDDIC is a sales methodology teams can use for better lead qualification. The acronym helps reps remember the specific set of criteria they can lean on to qualify and prioritize potential customers. In fact, some of the best sales training companies encourage MEDDIC for qualifying prospects. 

This framework also helps teams better understand their clients overall, leading to more closed deals and less time wasted. 

Created in 1996 by Dick Dunkel and Jack Napoli, sales leaders have been using this methodology ever since. 

What does MEDDIC stand for?

The acronym MEDDIC stands for metrics, economic buyer, decision criteria, decision process, identify pain, and champion. The criteria reps follow for this sales framework can be further broken down like so: 

• Metrics, so reps can best position their solution to prove it’ll yield a good return on investment (ROI)
• Economic buyer, AKA, the person who actually has the authority to make decisions and sign off on spending
• Decision criteria, or the factors a potential customer will consider when making a decision (e.g., integration, potential ROI, simplicity of use, budget constraints, etc.)
• Decision process, or the means of how the choice is made and followed through on
• Identify pain, or the needs and pain points of potential client 
• Champion, or the person within the organization who helps push your solution though  

By using this criteria as a guide, sales teams can conduct lead qualification much easier while also prioritizing potential customers.

MEDDIC vs. MEDDPICC

MEDDIC and MEDDPICC are two sales methodologies that help reps qualify and prioritize leads. While MEDDIC is the original framework, MEDDPICC is a variation that adds two components to the acronym: paper process and competition.

How to Apply MEDDIC in the Sales Process

Luckily, compared to other sales methodologies, MEDDIC is a clear-cut, structured way to prioritize leads. The difficult part is applying it across the board of an organization, at scale (more on that below!)

Here’s how to apply MEDDIC in the sales process in seven easy steps. 

1. Prepare to collect data (and lots of it!). 

The first step in MEDDIC is data gathering. Consider the lead and who they are. Where do they work? What industry do they work in? Asking yourself some of these questions can kickstart your data gathering efforts in the right direction. 

However, you’ll want to gather more information than just the lead’s details. Explore who the key stakeholders might be. This includes not only the person who has the ability to make these decisions, but also the other folks involved who might affect the process. 

2. Consider the prospect’s metrics. 

Metrics — AKA, the quantifiable objectives of a potential buyer — are central to the MEDDIC framework. Reps need to know what their lead’s goals are so they can best position their solution, be it a product or service, as the best solution.

Ask yourself, how can your solution help the potential buyer reach their aforementioned metrics? Having this understanding can help you personalize your sales pitch to the prospect later down the road, too.

3. Look for your economic buyer. 

As you might recall, the economic buyer of MEDDIC is the person who has the power to actually make decisions with regard to a sale. Usually, this person will be some kind of executive (think CEO or CFO), but it doesn’t have to be. It’ll always be someone with financial authority.

4. Take a look at the lead’s decision criteria.

Evaluating a lead’s decision criteria is helpful (and necessary) because it gives sales reps a better idea of what components will influence a potential buyer’s decision. Much of the criteria will be factors that reps are expecting, such as product benefits or its price. A brand’s reputation can also be a factor in the decision criteria. It’ll likely vary prospect to prospect. 

5. Break down the decision process. 

Every lead is different, so efficiently breaking down the decision process will also vary depending on the potential buyer. The rep’s responsibilities here are the same, though: acknowledging and assessing the steps in the lead’s decision-making process.

This is the time to not only look at those essential decision points, but also any potential barriers or obstacles the team might face down the line. 

6. Pinpoint and evaluate influence (and pain points). 

Of course, pinpoint any specific pain points, needs, and frustrations the buyer might have. This step helps reps make a plan to address them. 

A sales rep should also take time to determine who else influences the decision. There may be gatekeepers or other folks who aren’t necessarily the “champion” but still have the power to affect a decision. 

7. Identify your champion.

As mentioned above, the champion is largely important with regard to MEDDIC success. Who’s the person inside the client’s company responsible for advocating for your solution? They’ll be your champion.  

Once you’ve pinpointed who that could be, hone in on them and start building a rapport. Creating a relationship with this person is essential, especially when it comes to leveraging their support in a meaningful way.

Using Yoodli for MEDDIC Sales Training

Because MEDDIC uses a structured, easy-to-remember criteria, it can facilitate customer qualification in a very straightforward manner. However, that’s not to say it’s always easy to apply. For example, large corporations often run into trouble when trying to implement training at-scale. Thankfully, tools like Yoodli can completely change the game. 

Using AI technology, Yoodli functions as an online sales coach that assists industry leaders in getting their reps up to speed (and at scale), no matter the size of the company. MEDDIC training for reps who are completely unfamiliar with this framework is especially important. Instead of throwing reps into the deep end and having them practice MEDDIC techniques with real prospects, why not have them practice in risk-free, realistic simulations? 

One of the best parts of Yoodli is its sales roleplays capabilities, which allow salespeople to practice their skills without any risk. They can practice in various scenarios again and again until they feel comfortable using MEDDIC in actual client situations. 

For example, company leaders can put reps in simulated cold calls or discovery scenarios where they can try implementing MEDDIC in real time. Not only that, but after every simulation, sales reps receive sales coaching feedback for improvement.

Plus, Yoodli’s no stranger to at-scale training and implementation. Popular companies like Korn Ferry, Dale Carnegie, and Google have already used this AI sales coach to decrease ramp across the board while boosting seller attainment.

Here’s a specific example: Google Cloud got 15,000 reps up to speed through at-scale training and implementation with Yoodli. The results? The case study was such a success that Google extended its Yoodli use to other programs as well.  

Find out how your sales team can lean on Yoodli to implement the MEDDIC sales framework (or any other sales methodology and techniques) at https://yoodli.ai/. 

MEDDIC Benefits and Drawbacks

Like any sales methodology, MEDDIC has its pros and cons. For teams curious about MEDDIC implementation — especially when it comes to improved lead qualification — here are the most common benefits and disadvantages to keep in mind.

MEDDIC benefits

There are plenty of benefits when it comes to MEDDIC, which is, in part, why it’s such a popular methodology. The most obvious advantage is that it facilitates and improves the entire lead qualification process. Customer qualification can be time-consuming and wasteful, especially in terms of resources used. However, the MEDDIC criteria helps reps pinpoint the top most qualified leads. That way, teams can pivot and prioritize as they see fit. 

As such, MEDDIC also yields improved sales forecasting. That’s because teams can enhance forecasting accuracy simply by tracking prospects with this framework. 

Because it’s such a structured approach that leans on decisions driven by data, MEDDIC can lead to better sales efficiency. Reps will inevitably collect and evaluate lead data, which sheds light on the principle stakeholders and overall decision-making process. The opportunities for closed deals can increase as teams personalize their sales approach based on this data. 

Similarly, sales reps can build better relationships with leads through MEDDIC, which shows prospects that reps have an intimate understanding of their pain points, objectives, and needs. This only builds more credibility and trust, and helps establish a better rapport. 

MEDDIC disadvantages 

Of course, there are also a few disadvantages to the MEDDIC framework to be aware of. Although this methodology can definitely save time in the long run, it can be a little time-consuming to get started, especially with teams who haven’t had any exposure before. 

For example, collecting and assessing data can take time and effort, and if your teams aren’t used to this type of data collection and analysis, its complexity can take a toll. If you’re dealing with especially complex sales cycles or large companies, the data collection can be tricky. 

It’s worth noting that a key disadvantage to MEDDIC is that it’s not universally useful. In other words, it might not be as efficient in certain sales environments. Plus, because it’s mainly used for lead qualification, this framework might not get the full picture of a client’s pain points and other nuances. 

There’s also a risk of reps depending on MEDDIC too much. Because the criteria is easy to follow, some reps slip into the habit of over-relying on its components which can cause them to lose opportunities due to the narrow-minded focus.

The Main Takeaway

MEDDIC is a tried-and-true sales methodology for improved lead qualification and prioritization. Many teams swear by it. Although it can prove a bit tricky to establish across teams of a large company, using a tool like Yoodli can facilitate at-scale training and implementation for more closed deals in the long run. 

Sources

• Lucidchart: “What Is the MEDDIC Sales Process?”
• MEDDIC: “MEDDIC Sales Methodology and Process.”
• HubSpot: “A Step-by-Step Guide to the MEDDIC Sales Qualification Process.”
• Spekit: “What is MEDDIC in Sales?”
• Salesforce: “An Introduction to the MEDDIC Sales Process.”