How Sales Managers Can Master MEDDPICC Deal Reviews
Too many sales coaching conversations revolve around activity levels and surface-level deal updates:
"How many calls did you make?"
"Did you get the demo scheduled?"
“What new pipe got built last week”
“What’s the update on ABC Corp?”
These conversations aren't valuable for sellers or managers because they fail to address the heart of deal success: strategic depth.
At The Brevet Group, we champion a simple truth: Effective coaching hinges on a deep understanding of the deal. That's where MEDDPICC and an effective Business Value Selling methodology comes in.
These powerful frameworks equips sales managers to guide their teams in crafting winning deal strategies.
The Pitfall of the Passive Review
Many sales managers fall into the trap of passive deal reviews because they’re strapped for time. They listen to seller updates and offer surface-level advice, missing the opportunity to delve into the deal's intricacies. Or the opposite happens and the sales manager takes over, missing the chance to develop the seller.
Here's the remedy: Transform your review sessions into strategic coaching opportunities. Use MEDDPICC as a springboard to ask probing questions that uncover critical deal dynamics and grow seller capabilities.
MEDDPICC: A Coaching Framework for Deal Mastery
- Metrics and Decision Criteria: Don't settle for surface-level discussions about features and benefits. Dig deeper. Ask:
"What are key performance indicators (KPIs) on our persona’s MBOs this year? How will our solution impact these?" (Metrics)
"What criteria will the customer use to evaluate our solution against competitors? Why does our solution better align with their decision-making framework?" (Decision Criteria)
- Economic Buyer and Champion: Identify and engage the true decision-maker (Economic Buyer) and cultivate a strong relationship with your internal advocate (Champion). Ask:
"How have you validated that this person is the economic buyer on this deal? Have we established a clear communication channel with them?" (Economic Buyer)
"Who within the customer organization is our strongest advocate? How can we leverage their influence to navigate the internal buying process?" (Champion)
- Decision Process and Paper Process: Understand the customer's buying journey and navigate potential roadblocks. Ask:
"What are the key upcoming milestones in the decision-making process? What are the anticipated timelines?" (Decision Process)
"What are the customer's procurement requirements? Do we have the necessary documentation and approvals in place?" (Paper Process)
- Implicated Pain and Competition: Unearth the customer's core business challenges (Implicated Pain) and differentiate your offering from the competition. Ask:
"What are the customer's biggest pain points? How is this impacting their bottom line?" (Implicated Pain)
"Who are our key competitors in this deal? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do we stack up?" (Competition)
Beyond the Questions: Building a Coaching Cadence
Don't rely solely on ad-hoc questioning during deal reviews. Embed MEDDPICC into your coaching cadence. Drive more consistent and high quality deal reviews with these tips:
- Utilize Deal Scorecards: Develop scorecards that track progress on key MEDDPICC elements, highlighting areas requiring focus.
- Leverage CRM Data: Integrate MEDDPICC criteria into your CRM system, prompting sellers to capture and track deal insights.
- Role-Playing Exercises: Conduct role-play activities to teach and reinforce sellers with communication skills needed to navigate challenging conversations.
The Power of Proactive Coaching
By adopting a MEDDPICC-driven coaching approach, you empower your sellers to move beyond surface-level deal understanding. This translates into the development of effective deal strategies that increase win rates and shorten sales cycles.
Remember, successful sales coaching isn't about ticking boxes; it's about fostering strategic thinking. Leverage MEDDPICC as a powerful tool to elevate your coaching game and empower your team to close more deals.
About The Author
Researcher, consultant, and sales leader, Brian uses a data-driven approach to drive sales effectiveness. His clients include leading sales organizations in financial services, technology, healthcare, and professional services. Using insight from academics and change management, Brian helps senior leaders and sales enablement teams understand and succeed in today’s more demanding market. His research has been published in Harvard Business Review and other outlets.
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