Ever heard a rep say, “The deal’s looking good”… but they struggle to provide the metrics behind it? That is a deal running on fumes.
In the world of MEDDPICC, Metrics aren’t a checkbox – they’re your fuel, your GPS, and your co-pilot all rolled into one.
As sales coach Emily Bair puts it:
“If you don’t have the numbers that define success for your buyer, you don’t understand the deal.”
Let’s break down how to coach your team to nail the Metrics component of MEDDPICC, with real tactics, punchy questions, and zero fluff.
This blog is part of our Mastering MEDDPICC series—your practical guide to embedding the framework across your team, from rollout to reinforcement. If you’re looking to build a qualification process your reps actually use (and your CRM reflects), start with our intro guide to implementing MEDDPICC. It covers what the framework stands for, why it works in B2B sales, and how to make it stick.
What Exactly Counts as a “Metric” in MEDDPICC?
Sales reps often confuse metrics with internal KPIs.
But in MEDDPICC, a metric is the customer’s quantifiable measure of success – not yours.
A good metric:
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Is specific and measurable
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Ties directly to a prospect’s goal (cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency, etc.)
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Is meaningful to a stakeholder who can say “yes” (ideally the Economic Buyer)
Things to Do:
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Translate benefits into business impact: “Saves 5 hours/week” > “Saves time”
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Use customer language to frame outcomes
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Ensure every metric ties to revenue gained, cost avoided, or risk reduced
Questions to Ask:
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“How will you know this project was successful?”
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“What would a win look like in numbers?”
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“Is there a specific goal you’re trying to hit this quarter?”
How Do We Uncover Metrics if the Prospect Doesn’t Offer Any?
Spoiler: most won’t.
Emily Bair says,
“It’s rare for a customer to self-generate metrics without help.”
Winning reps don’t wait; they dig.
Things to Do:
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Use industry benchmarks to prompt conversation
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Help prospects calculate their “cost of pain”
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Share stories: “Client X saved £50k/year – would that be meaningful for you?”
Questions to Ask:
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“Which KPIs are critical for your team right now?”
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“How are you tracking success today?”
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“What’s the estimated impact if this problem isn’t solved?”
What Makes a Good Metric vs. a Bad One?
Not all metrics are created equal. A 12% page load speed increase? Meh. But a £50k annual saving in marketing spend? Now we’re talking.
Things to Do:
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Challenge vague metrics (“increase productivity”) and quantify them
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Validate every metric with: “Who cares about this?”
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Pair metrics with impact stories
Questions to Ask:
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“Is this metric meaningful to your CFO/VP?”
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“How does this improvement affect the business as a whole?”
When Should We Capture Metrics?
Early. Often. Relentlessly. Metrics aren’t one-and-done.
Emily Bair explains:
“This is where discovery meets metrics.”
Things to Do:
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Start quantifying in early discovery
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Revisit and refine with champions
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Validate with the Economic Buyer before proposing
Questions to Ask:
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“How much is this costing you today?”
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“What would be a measurable improvement?”
Do Metrics Always Have to Be Financial (ROI)?
No, but they should connect to business value.
Things to Do:
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Use efficiency metrics (hours saved, error rates) and tie them to cost or revenue
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Map both “above the line” and “below the line” metrics
Questions to Ask:
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“What happens if we improve this metric?”
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“Is there a financial implication to this operational change?”
How Should Sales Leaders Coach on Metrics?
Here is Emily’s playbook:
1. Make Metrics Mandatory in Deal Reviews
Insist reps show quantified value in every stage.
2. Train Reps to Discover, Not Wait
Role-play tough discovery. Equip them with question frameworks.
3. Align Metrics to Champions and Economic Buyers
Help reps validate and co-own metrics across stakeholders.
4. Build a Metrics Library
Use M1/M3 metrics from past deals to educate and inspire.
5. Celebrate Value Post-Sale
Track actual outcomes. Feed them back into coaching.
Questions to Ask in Coaching:
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“What metric matters most to the buyer?”
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“Has the EB agreed that this metric defines success?”
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“Can your champion sell this metric internally?”
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“Do we have a story to back up this number?”
What Are the Most Common Mistakes with Metrics?
Emily Bair highlights the greatest hits of getting it wrong:
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Treating metrics as a checkbox
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Using metrics no one cares about
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Being vague or afraid to commit to a number
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Relying on the customer to calculate ROI
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Pitching metrics in a vacuum
Coach your team to avoid these.
No metric = no meaning.
How do we balance metrics with emotion?
By storytelling with data.
Emily Bair coaches reps to frame every number as part of a narrative:
“This tool helped Customer X reduce onboarding time by 50%, which meant faster ramp and £200k more pipeline in Q1.”
And she always makes reps gut-check themselves:
“Okay, the ROI says 3x. So what? Why does that matter to your champion? What does it enable them to do?”
Numbers without meaning don’t sell. Tie them to impact, and you’ve got a winning formula.
What if my buyer starts ghosting after being super engaged?
Emily says this is often a signal you missed something critical — likely around metrics or value.
If another vendor quantified the problem better, your buyer might have shifted focus. That’s why she pushes reps to use metrics as a competitive weapon: clear ROI, tied to business value, and compelling enough to carry into the Economic Buyer’s office.
Final Takeaways
If a rep can’t answer, “What’s the value in numbers for this deal?”, you’re not qualified.
Metrics in MEDDPICC are your lever for value-based selling, for coaching champions, and for earning the attention of economic buyers.
As Emily says:
“No pain is fully identified until it’s quantified.”
Ready to learn what the “E” in MEDDPICC means?
We’ve got a full deep dive on the Economic Buyer – who they are, how to engage them, and why they hold the keys to the deal.
Want to fast-track your MEDDPICC success?
Our tailored learning path combines sales training with 1:1 coaching to turn theory into revenue.
Book a call with our team to see how we can help your reps master MEDDPICC—without overwhelm or checkbox selling.
