The MEDDPICC Framework – Raising the Standard for Sales Qualification and Execution
- Louis Fernandes
- Nov 8, 2025
- 4 min read
As we explore the foundations of modern B2B selling, a recurrent theme and constant source of consternation among revenue leaders, is qualification.
If there is one rep "super-power," it's the ability to accurately qualify whether deals are real or not, and when, if ever, they will close.
The foundations we've looked at in previous blog posts have included:
SPIN Selling – building discovery discipline
The Challenger Sale – creating urgency by reframing the buyer’s thinking
The JOLT Effect – helping buyers overcome fear and indecision
Each of these sales methodologies addresses a critical phase of the buying journey. But none of them answer a more fundamental question: Are we pursuing the right deals in the first place?
Because here’s the truth: You can run perfect discovery, challenge insightfully, and coach buyers through their fears—and still lose if the deal was unqualified from the start.
That’s where MEDDPICC comes in.
The Origin of MEDDIC – How It All Began at PTC
The story of MEDDIC starts in the early 1990s at Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) —one of the most formidable enterprise sales organisations of its time.
Facing a rapidly expanding sales force and increasingly complex deals, PTC needed a way to ensure consistent qualification, execution, and forecast accuracy across hundreds of reps.
Enter Dick Dunkel and Jack Napoli, two of the original architects of MEDDIC (without the PP and extra C yet). MEDDIC was designed to be simple, memorable, and universally applicable—giving reps a common checklist to qualify opportunities rigorously, not just emotionally.
At its heart, MEDDIC aimed to solve one big problem: "Why are we wasting time chasing bad deals?"
It worked. PTC scaled from ~$300M to over $1B in less than a decade, and their sales DNA—including MEDDIC—spread like wildfire across the B2B tech industry.
The Evolution to MEDDPICC – Enter Andy Whyte
Fast-forward to today, and Andy Whyte, a former enterprise seller turned sales author and trainer, has taken the MEDDIC philosophy and evolved it into MEDDPICC—a modernised, even more robust version designed for today’s complex sales environment.
His book, MEDDICC: The Ultimate Guide to Selling, and his company of the same name, have re-energised interest in disciplined qualification, especially as SaaS businesses mature and revenue efficiency becomes non-negotiable.
Andy’s biggest contributions?
Emphasising repeatability at scale (not just theory)
Making MEDDPICC accessible and operational across the GTM org
Updating it for modern SaaS buying cycles—where Paper Process and Competition are crucial differentiators
MEDDPICC is no longer just a rep’s checklist—it’s a shared GTM language across Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, and RevOps.
The MEDDPICC Framework Explained
Let’s break it down:
Metrics Quantifiable measures of success. “If we deliver this solution, what business impact will it create—and how will it be measured?”
Economic Buyer The person with final sign-off authority. “Who controls the budget—and are we engaged directly?”
Decision Criteria The formal requirements used to evaluate solutions. “What’s on the checklist the buying team will use to compare us to competitors?”
Decision Process How the customer will make a decision, including all approvals and stages. “Who needs to agree, and what steps must happen before we get a signed contract?”
Paper Process The legal and procurement process to actually close the deal. “What’s required to move from verbal to contract execution—and when should we start it?”
Identify, Indicate & Implicate Pain The specific challenges that make solving the problem urgent. “What’s hurting the business now, and what happens if they don’t solve it?”
Champion An internal advocate who sells on your behalf when you’re not in the room. “Do we have someone emotionally invested in our success—and can they influence the decision?”
Competition Who else is involved and how you’re positioned against them. “What are the alternatives the customer is considering—and how are we differentiated?”
Why MEDDPICC Still Matters (Maybe More Than Ever)
In today’s environment—where buying committees are larger, cycles are longer, and budgets are scrutinised—qualification isn’t just a sales best practice. It’s survival.
Here’s why MEDDPICC remains indispensable:
It focuses reps on deals that can actually close, not just feel good.
It improves forecast accuracy by removing happy ears.
It gives managers a common coaching language to spot gaps early.
It aligns Sales, Marketing, and CS around a single view of deal health.
Most importantly, it shifts focus from activity (more demos, more meetings) to progress (real movement toward decision).
Where Teams Get MEDDPICC Wrong
Even great frameworks fail when misapplied. Here’s where teams stumble with MEDDPICC:
They treat it like a CRM checklist rather than a thinking tool.
They don’t qualify disqualification. Sometimes the bravest thing is walking away early.
They over-index on early-stage qualification but don’t update MEDDPICC as deals evolve. (It’s dynamic, not static.)
They focus on “knowing” rather than “gaining.” Just documenting gaps isn’t enough—you must drive action to close them.
How to Embed MEDDPICC in Your GTM Execution
Train reps to think through MEDDPICC at every stage, not just early discovery.
Integrate MEDDPICC fields into CRM intelligently—so they aid forecasting, not create admin burden.
Coach managers to use MEDDPICC in 1:1s and deal reviews.
Use it cross-functionally: Marketing should know the pains, CS should identify new Champions for upsell, RevOps should monitor deal slippage linked to missing elements.
If SPIN helps you understand the customer, Challenger helps you move them, and JOLT helps you overcome their fear, MEDDPICC helps you pick the right deals to invest in from the beginning.
Closing Thoughts
Qualification isn’t a gate. It’s a mirror.
MEDDPICC isn’t about disqualifying pipeline—it’s about working smart, coaching well, and winning predictably.
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