Implementing a new sales qualification framework is rarely straightforward. You’ve seen the benefits on paper—better forecasting, deal clarity, and consistent coaching—but two months post-rollout, you’re not seeing results.
Reps treat MEDDPICC like an admin task.
Managers aren’t reinforcing it. Your CRM? It’s not reflecting the process at all.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
This guide will show you how to embed MEDDPICC into the fabric of your sales team, and get the best results from the methodology—without overwhelming your team or overcomplicating your deals.
What is MEDDPICC vs MEDDICC vs MEDDIC?
It evolved from MEDDIC (the OG), to MEDDICC (adding Champion), to MEDDPICC (adding Paper Process and Competition).
These frameworks help enterprise sellers qualify complex deals, navigate org charts, and forecast with less voodoo. Think of it as your internal GPS when the buying journey feels like a maze. (the OG), to MEDDICC (adding Champion), to MEDDPICC (adding Paper Process and Competition).
These frameworks help enterprise sellers qualify complex deals, navigate org charts, and forecast with less voodoo. Think of it as your internal GPS when the buying journey feels like a maze.
What does MEDDPICC stand for?
Metrics
Metrics represent the measurable outcomes your buyer needs to see in order to justify your solution.
As Emily Bair explains,
"There are three levels: M1 (business impact), M2 (team KPIs), and M3 (personal wins). If you're only talking about revenue, you're missing half the picture."
These act as the currency of decision-making.
Want to learn more about how top sales leaders nail their MEDDPICC metrics for the best success? Read more here.
Economic Buyer
The Economic Buyer is the person who controls the budget and can approve (or block) your deal. You need direct access to this stakeholder—anything less is wishful thinking.
Richard Bounds perfectly illustrates this:
"You think the champion can sign? Wrong. They can only sponsor. The economic buyer holds the pen."
Decision Criteria
The Decision Criteria includes the set of measurable requirements your buyer is using to compare you against competitors. It’s not just features or pricing—it’s what matters most to their success.
From our coach: "You must help them write the exam paper you want to sit."
Decision Process
The Decision Process is all about who is involved, when decisions are made, what approvals are needed—this is the blueprint for how your deal gets done.
Steve Myers said:
"Don’t just ask for the process. Walk through it like a timeline. Who signs off what, when, and why?"
That’s how you avoid surprises.
Paper Process
The Paper Process refers to the formal approval steps—like legal, security, procurement—that often derail late-stage deals.
Alan Clark explains:
"Buyers rarely know their own paper process. It’s our job to suggest what’s likely needed and help them navigate it."
This is also your best opportunity to multithread.
Implicate Pain
Implicating Pain goes beyond identifying pain, you need to link it to measurable impact and urgency.
Alan put it clearly: "You’re not just discovering pain—you’re making it matter. Show them what it costs to do nothing."
This is where momentum builds.
Champion
Your internal advocate—but only if they have power and a personal stake.
Volker Ballueder explained,
"A true Champion is emotionally invested. They win when you win. Otherwise, you’ve just got a fan, not a Champion."
Competition
It’s not just another vendor. It’s the status quo, internal projects, or even apathy.
As Nigel Arthur warns:
"If you haven’t identified the competition, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any. It means you’re flying blind."
Why use MEDDPICC as a deal qualification framework for B2B sales?
If you want your pipeline reviews to sound less like fan fiction and more like deal strategy, MEDDPICC is your playbook.
Here’s what top sales leaders love about it:
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Boosts forecast accuracy by forcing clear qualification.
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Creates a repeatable deal process managers can coach to.
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Helps reps spot risk and take action early.
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Makes coaching actually valuable (not just vibe checks).
It shines brightest in complex B2B deals with multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles, and political nuance. (Aka the deals that matter most.)
How to implement MEDDPICC successfully
Sales leaders roll out MEDDPICC with the best intentions. But it often goes sideways.
Here's what breaks—and how to fix it.
1. Reps Forget to Use It
They leave workshops energised, then ghost MEDDPICC by Tuesday.
- Do this instead: Build it into daily workflow. Add fields in your CRM, reference it in every pipeline review, and use shared language.
2. Managers Don’t Coach to It
If frontline leaders aren't using it, the team won't either.
- Fix it: Train managers first. Give them scorecards, cheat sheets, and frameworks for 1:1s.
3. CRM Isn't Set Up
No MEDDPICC fields = no adoption = no insights.
- Add: Custom fields, filters, and dashboards that reflect MEDDPICC. Think: Can you filter your pipe by "Champion Confirmed" or "Paper Process Understood"?
4. It Becomes a Script
MEDDPICC is not a form. It's a thinking tool.
Coach this mindset: It helps you think like your buyer, not just tick boxes. As one coach put it:
Alan Clark suggests:
"Don't use it like a script. Use it like a spotlight—to light up the parts of the deal that need attention."
5. Leadership Doesn’t Buy In
If the exec team treats it like another fad, so will everyone else.
Get buy-in: Show how it connects to revenue, hiring plans, and board meetings. Use real-world dashboards to prove its value.
MEDDPICC template: Tools to help your team use it
Want MEDDPICC to feel less like homework? Give your team:
Things to Do:
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Build CRM templates with MEDDPICC fields.
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Create a cheat sheet with deal-stage prompts.
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Use call scorecards for pipeline inspections.
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Include MEDDPICC questions in onboarding.
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Share real examples of deals where MEDDPICC changed the outcome.
Questions to Ask:
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Are managers trained to coach MEDDPICC?
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Can reps explain what makes a real Champion?
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Where do we track Paper Process? How soon do we ask?
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What’s our plan to train execs on this?
MEDDPICC questions to ask in your sales process
From Metrics to Pain to Champion, every letter in MEDDPICC demands smart, context-driven questions. And yes, asking the wrong ones can cost you the deal.
Alan Clark tells us:
"Most buyers aren’t used to buying. We are. That’s our edge. Lead with suggestions, not questions."
CRM MEDDPICC fields: How to set up your system to support it
If it’s not in the CRM, it doesn’t exist. Period.
Create custom fields for each MEDDPICC element, dashboards for pipeline inspection, and filters to spotlight gaps.
Pro tip: Use your CRM to trigger deal reviews when key fields are blank or contradictory. This is how you make MEDDPICC actionable.
Sales coaching using the MEDDIC methodology
This isn’t about pushing reps to remember letters. It’s about using MEDDPICC to create coachable moments.
Train your managers to:
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Spot qualification gaps.
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Ask second-layer questions.
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Tie back to metrics when objections rise.
And Emily Bair framed it perfectly:
"When they stop replying or start getting vague? That’s a metric signal too. You've likely missed something critical."
What not to do: MEDDPICC do's and don’ts
Do:
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Use it to think, not to script.
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Train managers first.
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Embed in CRM and pipeline reviews.
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Focus on coaching, not compliance.
Don’t:
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Treat it like a one-time training event.
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Roll it out org-wide without a plan.
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Apply it rigidly to every SMB deal.
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Expect instant behaviour change.
Final Thoughts
MEDDPICC works. But it only works when it’s embedded, coached, and aligned to your real-world deals.
Want help making that happen? Our guided MEDDPICC learning path is designed to help your managers coach to it, your reps adopt it, and your CRM reflect it.
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.
