Ever wondered: “How do I uncover the customer’s true decision criteria?”
Expert sales coach Tim Ogle has a clear answer: it’s not just about what’s written down. In fact, what isn’t stated might matter even more.
As he explains:
“There are always stated and unstated criteria.
The stated stuff gets you through the gate.
The unstated wins or loses the deal.”
This actionable guide helps you to understand what 'Decision Criteria' stands for, then gives you questions to asks and things to do to overcome any challenges you may face.
This article is part of our Mastering MEDDPICC series—a hands-on collection designed to help you turn MEDDPICC from theory into team-wide habit. If you’re looking to get your reps actually using the framework, don’t miss our practical starter guide to implementing MEDDPICC. It unpacks the meaning behind each letter, explains why it’s essential in complex B2B sales, and shows you how to roll it out across your team—without adding friction or overwhelm.
What does ‘Decision Criteria’ in MEDDPICC stand for?
Tim defines it simply: “These are the criteria by which the customer will decide to do something or not.” Stated criteria might appear in RFPs or checklists.
But unstated? That’s the personal stuff—ambitions, fears, internal politics.
It’s your job to find those.
Tim explains:
“You need to get close to who they are, what they’re trying to achieve, and what the underlying drivers are.”
How do you uncover true decision criteria?
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Ask: “What would make this a big win for you personally?”
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Probe for unstated pain: “What happens if this doesn’t get solved?”
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Don’t stop at features—look for emotional or strategic motivators.
What if the buyer says, “It’s just about price and functionality”?
Tim is blunt: that’s rarely the full story.
“If you’re just answering an RFP, you’re only getting the surface. There may be hidden drivers like someone needing a promotion or wanting to look good.”
What to do:
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Challenge surface-level responses
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Ask for the business case behind the feature requests
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Look for urgency or personal agendas
What types of criteria are most common in enterprise B2B deals?
Tim breaks them into four:
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Technical – Integrations, features, compatibility
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Business – Strategic pain points, process improvement
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Financial – ROI, cost reduction
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Unstated – Personal wins, risk tolerance, internal politics
Tim explains:
“The technical stuff is boring. It won’t win the deal. It’s just table stakes.”
Each persona values different things—IT may want compliance, Finance wants payback, Execs want to reduce risk.
Ask:
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What does each buyer care about?
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Are we solving something they value?
How do I influence or shape the decision criteria in our favour?
You can’t if you come in late. But if you’re early and have done great discovery, you absolutely can.
Tim shares two ways:
- Reframe pain: Remind them of the business problem and align your solution to it
- Use customer stories: Share how others shaped their criteria around similar pain
Here's a question you could ask:
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to push this up the tree to get the new stakeholder’s input, so the solution aligns with the direction of travel?”
What if the customer hasn’t defined any criteria yet?
Tim says this is common. Especially in new initiatives or with first-time buyers, decision criteria often don’t exist yet.
That’s an opportunity.
“If you do a good job of consultative questioning, you can help them realise what they haven’t thought about. You can influence the criteria.”
What should I do if the criteria are clearly biased toward a competitor?
If you smell a setup, don’t run scared. Tim recommends reframing around business outcomes.
“You can’t force-fit something if it doesn’t align. You lose credibility.”
Also: share stories about how other clients changed direction once they focused on the real business need.
Can I challenge the criteria? How do I reset the conversation?
Yes—but gently. Tim suggests positioning it as a check-in: “Let’s validate the direction based on what matters now.”
“Say: this is the pain we’ve uncovered. Here’s our proposed fix. Given there’s new leadership, wouldn’t it be wise to recheck alignment before pushing this to sign-off?”
That gives the champion cover and opens the door for recalibration.
Where do I document and track decision criteria in the CRM?
Tim doesn’t call out CRM fields, but he’s big on transparency. If you’re not validating criteria throughout the deal, you’re relying on hope.
“You have to build trust and validate understanding all the way through. Not just score it at the end.”
Best practice:
Keep a living record of:
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Who owns each criterion
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Whether it’s stated or inferred
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How it aligns to the pain and solution
How do I know if I’ve got this right?
Tim warns against overconfidence. Reps often score themselves highly, but there’s no substance behind it.
“They say, ‘Yeah I know the criteria,’ but if you peel back the logic, there’s no evidence.”
“Hope, wish, and pray aren’t strategies.”
You don’t need to force the MEDDPICC questions at the end. If you’re doing good discovery, the criteria will naturally emerge.
Ask yourself:
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Did I uncover these gradually?
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Do they hold up under scrutiny?
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Are they linked to pain, value, or risk?
Final Thoughts
Tim Ogle’s advice on Decision Criteria is simple: Dig deeper.
Don’t stop at what’s handed to you.
Ask better questions. Build better trust. And never, ever rely on surface-level assumptions.
Ready to learn what the next D in MEDDPICC means?
The next D stands for Decision Process - the specific steps, people, and timelines a buyer goes through internally to make a purchasing decision. It’s not about who signs the contract—it’s about how they decide.
Tired of MEDDPICC being just another acronym?
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Book a call and let’s talk about helping your team embed MEDDPICC—minus the chaos and confusion.
