qa-aman Overview
Based on "MEDDICC" by Andy Whyte (and the original MEDDIC methodology from PTC). MEDDICC is the qualification framework used by the highest-performing enterprise sales teams globally. It maps every deal across seven dimensions: Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion, and Competition. Gaps in any dimension are gaps in your deal - not unknowns, risks.
Workflow
Step 1: Score each MEDDICC dimension
Run through every letter. For each one, write what you know and what you don't know. A blank answer is a red flag, not a neutral state.
| Dimension | Key question |
|---|---|
| M - Metrics | What is the quantified business impact of solving this problem? |
| E - Economic Buyer | Who has final budget authority? Have you spoken to them directly? |
| D - Decision Criteria | What does the prospect use to evaluate solutions? Do you know all criteria? |
| D - Decision Process | What are the steps from now to signed contract? Who is involved at each step? |
| I - Identify Pain | What is the explicit, documented pain? Who feels it most acutely? |
| C - Champion | Who inside the account is actively selling for you when you're not in the room? |
| C - Competition | Who else is being evaluated? What is your position vs. each competitor? |
Step 2: Flag red zones
For each dimension scored blank or weak, mark it RED. A deal with 3+ red zones should not be in your forecast at any stage above "pipeline."
Common red zone patterns:
- "I haven't met the Economic Buyer" = you are not in a real deal yet
- "I don't know their evaluation criteria" = you are flying blind in a competitive situation
- "I have a contact but no Champion" = your contact cannot close this internally without you
Step 3: Build the gap-closing plan
For every red zone, write one action to close the gap this week.
Format:
- Gap: [dimension + what's missing]
- Action: [specific outreach or meeting to close it]
- Owner: [who on your team does this]
- Deadline: [specific date]
Example:
- Gap: Economic Buyer - never spoken to VP of Finance who owns budget
- Action: Ask Champion to facilitate 20-min intro call with VP Finance
- Owner: [AE name]
- Deadline: This Friday
Step 4: Assign a deal stage based on MEDDICC completeness
| Stage | MEDDICC requirement |
|---|---|
| Pipeline | Pain confirmed, one internal contact |
| Qualified | M + E + I confirmed, Champion identified |
| Commit | All 7 dimensions known, Decision Process has a close date |
| Closed | Contract signed |
Do not let deals sit in Commit without all 7 dimensions covered.
Step 5: Prep the deal review narrative
Write a 5-sentence deal summary using this structure:
- What is the pain and who feels it? (I)
- What is the quantified impact of solving it? (M)
- Who is the Champion and what have they done to demonstrate that? (C)
- Who is the Economic Buyer and what is their posture? (E)
- What is the next step and when does it happen? (D - process)
This narrative is what you bring to pipeline review. If you can't write it, the deal is not qualified.
Anti-Patterns
1. Confusing a contact with a Champion Bad: "My Champion is [name] - she was really engaged on our last call." Good: A Champion has organizational credibility, access to the Economic Buyer, and has taken a personal risk for you (e.g., introduced you upward, shared internal budget info, advocated in a meeting you weren't in).
2. Accepting verbal budget confirmation as Economic Buyer access Bad: "They said budget isn't an issue." Good: "I have met the Economic Buyer, confirmed the budget line, and know who needs to sign the PO."
3. Leaving competition as "unknown" Bad: "We don't know who else they're evaluating." Good: Ask directly - "Are you evaluating other solutions alongside us?" Then position against each competitor.
4. Moving a deal to Commit on gut feel Bad: "They seem really interested, I'm 90% confident." Good: Every MEDDICC dimension is documented. The Decision Process has a signed-off timeline with specific dates.
Quality Checklist
- All 7 MEDDICC dimensions answered - no blanks
- Red zones identified and a gap-closing action written for each
- Champion has demonstrated internal advocacy, not just enthusiasm
- Economic Buyer has been spoken to directly, not just named
- Metrics are quantified in the prospect's own terms (time, money, or risk)
- Decision Process has a specific close date agreed upon with the prospect
- Deal stage matches MEDDICC completeness, not the sales rep's optimism