MEDDIC is a six-part B2B sales qualification framework that tests whether a deal is real and winnable on the buyer's own evidence. The letters stand for Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain and Champion. It was created at PTC in 1996; MEDDICC.com credits Dick Dunkel, with Jack Napoli.
Six letters, one standard for qualified
MEDDIC gives a team one standard for calling a deal qualified. Metrics is the outcome the buyer expects, in their numbers. The Economic Buyer is the one person who can approve the spend without asking anyone else. Decision Criteria and Decision Process are what the buyer will compare on and every step to a decision, with owners and dates. Identify Pain is the business problem, named by the buyer. The Champion is someone inside with influence and a personal stake in the rep winning.
- MetricsThe outcome, in the buyer's numbers
- Economic BuyerApproves the spend without asking anyone
- Decision CriteriaWhat the buyer will compare on
- Decision ProcessEvery step, with owners and dates
- Identify PainThe business problem, named by the buyer
- ChampionInfluence and a stake in the rep winning
- MetricsThe outcome, in the buyer's numbers
- Economic BuyerApproves the spend without asking anyone
- Decision CriteriaWhat the buyer will compare on
- Decision ProcessEvery step, with owners and dates
- Identify PainThe business problem, named by the buyer
- ChampionInfluence and a stake in the rep winning
Managers run MEDDIC in deal reviews by asking which letters the buyer has confirmed and which the rep is guessing, then planning the next call around the gap. Later versions added letters: MEDDICC adds Competition, and MEDDPICC adds Paper Process. The sales methodology guide shows where MEDDIC sits next to selling methodologies such as Gap Selling, and our MEDDIC page has the six letters in full.
Weak and confirmed evidence, letter by letter
| Letter | What a rep says when it is weak | What it sounds like confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Metrics | "They want to save time" | "Ops said month-end close takes 9 days and the target is 5" |
| Economic Buyer | "My contact reports to the CFO" | The CFO joined a call and said what she needs to see |
| Decision Criteria | "They liked the demo" | The buyer shared the evaluation sheet, and it was checked after new people joined |
| Decision Process | "Procurement after legal, I think" | Each step named by the buyer, with an owner and a date |
| Identify Pain | "Their reporting is a mess" | The buyer said what goes wrong, how often and what it cost last quarter |
| Champion | "She really likes us" | She set up the meeting with the Economic Buyer when asked |
The left column is what the manager hears in most reviews. The question that moves a letter across is the same each time: "What did the buyer say, and who said it?"
Testing a Champion
This example is illustrative. A rep calls their contact a Champion because she is friendly and answers emails within the hour. In the review, the manager applies the test MEDDIC teaches: ask the Champion to do something that costs effort, such as setting up the meeting with the Economic Buyer. The rep asks. She says the timing is bad. The Champion letter goes back to unknown, the deal drops a forecast category, and the rep starts looking for someone with a stake in the outcome. On the next call, the rep asks the operations director, the likeliest candidate: "If this slips to next year, what does that do to your team's targets?"
Related terms
- What is MEDDPICC?
- MEDDPICC vs MEDDIC
- How to coach MEDDPICC on live deals
- How to roll out a sales methodology on live deals
FAQ
What does MEDDIC stand for?
MEDDIC stands for Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain and Champion. It is a qualification framework for complex B2B deals, first used at PTC in the 1990s.
Is MEDDIC still used?
MEDDIC is still widely used. Many teams run MEDDIC as written, and many run its longer versions, MEDDICC and MEDDPICC, which add Competition and Paper Process. The six original letters are the core of all three.
How is MEDDIC different from BANT?
MEDDIC asks for more evidence than BANT. BANT checks budget, authority, need and timeline, which suits short sales cycles. MEDDIC adds the buyer's metrics, decision criteria, decision process and a tested Champion, which suits larger deals with several approvers.