How to close more deals by using the MEDDIC sales methodology

Bill Mcclendon
4 min readMay 9, 2023

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As a sales professional, you are always on the lookout for the most effective sales methodology to help you close more deals. MEDDIC is one such sales methodology that has gained popularity over the years. It stands for Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion. In this article, we will explore how to use MEDDIC to close more deals, compare it with other sales methodologies like Consultative and Solution sales, and determine which one is better.

The MEDDIC sales methodology is designed to help salespeople qualify leads, understand customer needs, and close deals efficiently. Let’s take a closer look at each component of MEDDIC and how you can use them to close more deals:

M — Metrics

Metrics are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that your customer is trying to achieve. These metrics may include revenue growth, cost savings, market share, or customer satisfaction. By understanding these metrics, you can tailor your sales pitch to show how your product or service can help the customer achieve their goals.

E — Economic Buyer

The economic buyer is the person who has the final say on whether or not to purchase your product or service. It is crucial to identify the economic buyer early in the sales process, as they will have the final say on whether or not to purchase your product. Once you have identified the economic buyer, tailor your sales pitch to address their specific concerns and needs.

D — Decision Criteria

The decision criteria are the factors that the customer will consider when making a purchasing decision. These criteria may include price, features, reliability, and customer support. It is essential to understand your customer’s decision criteria and to tailor your sales pitch accordingly.

D — Decision Process

The decision process is the series of steps that the customer will take to make a purchasing decision. This process may include evaluating multiple vendors, conducting a pilot project, or seeking approval from multiple stakeholders. By understanding the customer’s decision process, you can anticipate potential roadblocks and tailor your sales pitch to address these concerns.

I — Identify Pain

Identifying pain is the process of understanding the customer’s pain points, challenges, and needs. By identifying pain, you can tailor your sales pitch to address these concerns and demonstrate how your product or service can solve these problems.

C — Champion

The champion is the person within the customer’s organization who advocates for your product or service. The champion may be an end-user or an executive sponsor. By identifying the champion, you can leverage their support to help you close the deal.

Comparing MEDDIC with Consultative and Solution Sales

Consultative and solution sales are two other sales methodologies that are often used in the industry. Let’s take a closer look at these methodologies and compare them with MEDDIC.

Consultative Sales

Consultative sales are focused on building relationships with customers and understanding their needs. Salespeople using this approach act as consultants, providing advice and guidance to help customers make informed purchasing decisions. The consultative sales approach emphasizes the customer’s needs and interests, rather than the salesperson’s product or service.

The consultative sales approach is effective for complex sales, where the customer requires a high level of guidance and support. However, this approach can be time-consuming, as it requires the salesperson to spend a significant amount of time building relationships with the customer.

Solution Sales

Solution sales are focused on identifying the customer’s pain points and providing a customized solution to address those needs. Salespeople using this approach act as problem-solvers, providing a unique solution to the customer’s challenges. The solution sales approach emphasizes the customer’s needs and interests, rather than the salesperson’s product or service.

The solution sales approach is effective for customers who require a unique solution to their challenges. However, this approach can be expensive, as it requires significant customization and development of a unique solution.

When comparing MEDDIC with consultative and solution sales, it is essential to understand that each methodology has its strengths and weaknesses. While consultative sales are effective for building relationships and providing guidance, it can be time-consuming. Solution sales are effective for providing customized solutions, but they can be expensive.

MEDDIC, on the other hand, is designed to help salespeople identify key metrics, decision-makers, decision criteria, decision process, pain points, and champions quickly. This approach is effective for closing deals efficiently and streamlining the sales process. By focusing on key metrics and decision criteria, salespeople can tailor their pitch to meet the customer’s needs effectively.

To bring the curtains to a close, MEDDIC is an effective sales methodology that can help salespeople close deals more efficiently. By focusing on key metrics, decision-makers, decision criteria, decision process, pain points, and champions, salespeople can tailor their pitch to meet the customer’s needs effectively. When comparing MEDDIC with consultative and solution sales, it is essential to understand that each methodology has its strengths and weaknesses. While consultative sales are effective for building relationships and providing guidance, solution sales are effective for providing customized solutions. However, MEDDIC stands out for its efficiency and effectiveness in closing deals quickly.

Remember, no matter what sales methodology you use, always keep in mind that humor can be an excellent tool to break the ice with your clients and build a stronger connection. Just make sure your humor is appropriate for the situation, and you don’t offend your client unintentionally.

So, go ahead and give MEDDIC a try, and who knows, you might end up closing more deals than ever before. And, as always, don’t forget to inject some humor and personality into your sales pitch to make it more memorable and engaging for your clients. Happy selling!

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Bill Mcclendon

Qualysguard Certified Specialist, proficient in Nessus/ Metasploit/ NMAP/ Wireshark/ Python/ Netcat/ Vulnerability/ Penetration testing.