MEDDPICC explained: the 8 pillars, with example questions
MEDDPICC is a qualification method for complex B2B sales. The acronym stands for eight pillars: Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Paper Process, Identified Pain, Champion and Competition. For each pillar you assess whether you know enough to forecast the deal reliably. The more pillars are green, the better qualified the deal is.
· CogniSales
Where does MEDDPICC come from?
MEDDPICC extends MEDDIC, a method developed in the 1990s at the software company PTC. MEDDIC has six pillars. MEDDPICC adds two more: Paper Process (the contract and procurement process) and Competition. In larger deals, these two are often the reason a deal slips or is lost.
The 8 pillars of MEDDPICC
Metrics
- What it is
- What the customer wants to improve, expressed in numbers: time, money, revenue or risk.
- Example question
- “How much time or money does this problem cost you per month today?”
- Green when
- the customer names a measurable goal themselves.
Economic Buyer
- What it is
- The person who releases the budget and has the final say on the purchase.
- Example question
- “Who ultimately signs off on this investment?”
- Green when
- you know the economic buyer and they are involved.
Decision Criteria
- What it is
- The requirements the customer uses to compare vendors and solutions.
- Example question
- “What must a solution meet, at a minimum, to be considered?”
- Green when
- the criteria are known and your solution scores well on them.
Decision Process
- What it is
- The steps, people and timeline between now and a decision.
- Example question
- “Which steps do you take before a decision, and who is involved at each step?”
- Green when
- you know the steps, the people and the dates.
Paper Process
- What it is
- What it takes to sign: procurement, legal review, security review and signatures.
- Example question
- “What needs to happen once you say yes: who signs, and which departments review it?”
- Green when
- you know the contract route and how long it takes.
Identified Pain
- What it is
- The problem that is urgent enough to change something now.
- Example question
- “What happens if you don’t solve this in the next six months?”
- Green when
- the pain is concrete, acknowledged and has consequences.
Champion
- What it is
- Someone at the customer with influence who actively advocates for your solution.
- Example question
- “What do you need from me to defend this internally?”
- Green when
- your champion shares information and takes action.
Competition
- What it is
- The alternatives: other vendors, an in-house solution or doing nothing.
- Example question
- “Which other options are you considering, including ‘changing nothing’?”
- Green when
- you know what you are up against and why you fit better.
MEDDPICC as a colour code: green, yellow and red
A practical way to use MEDDPICC is one colour per pillar. Green if you know for sure, yellow if you have a hunch and red if you don’t know. A pillar that was not discussed in the call is red. That way you see at a glance what your next call should be about.
MEDDIC, MEDDICC and MEDDPICC: what is the difference?
| Method | Pillars | What is added |
|---|---|---|
| MEDDIC | 6 | Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identified Pain, Champion |
| MEDDICC | 7 | + Competition |
| MEDDPICC | 8 | + Paper Process and Competition |
Four common mistakes
- Setting the CRM stage higher than the qualification justifies.
- Mistaking a friendly contact for a champion.
- Asking about the paper process only at the very end.
- Filling in the metrics yourself instead of letting the customer name them.
How CogniSales uses MEDDPICC
CogniSales automatically scores every sales call on the eight pillars, with green, yellow or red per pillar and a qualification percentage. It also places the phase from the conversation next to the phase according to MEDDPICC, so you can see whether a deal looks further along than it is. For the next meeting you get three questions for the pillars that are still open.
See it in a demo