Embedding MEDDIC in the field

So, you’ve attended MEDDIC training – what next? 

• How do you test your understanding of MEDDIC?
• How do you progress to using MEDDIC in your every-day customer interactions?

Like many things in life the more you practice, the better you become at knowing, understanding and using the tools in your kitbag. 

Learning the theory of MEDDIC and where and how to apply each letter in the sales cycle is one thing. Applying the theory in your daily working life is quite another and can be a daunting prospect. 

Not knowing where to start stops us achieving our potential. 

So, where do you start?

Our 3-Step plan to embed our MEDDIC sales training into your ‘real world’ sales role

At inspir’em, we recommend that you start with two or three letters of MEDDIC in the first few months after your sales training. 

For example, for early-stage qualification focus on M, I & C – Metrics, Identified pain & Champion.

Work through these steps with M, I & C before moving on and applying the same principals to Eb, Dc & Dp – Economic buyer, Decision criteria & Decision process.

STEP 1 - REFRESH YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Dig out your training notes* and remind yourself of the key points of the letters you are focusing on. 

Using these key points, check the status of a real opportunity in your pipeline:

• What do you know about your opportunity (what is the Identified pain, how big is the problem, who cares)?
• What do you not know?
• What questions do you want to ask to find out more?
• Who do you want to ask these questions of?
• Who else in your team can ask some of these questions? 
• What information are you looking for to qualify to the next stage (what Metrics can you capture)?

Note how these questions focus on I – Identified Pain, and M – Metrics

You are trying to uncover how likely it is that the customer will spend time, energy and money solving a problem.  

Remember the leg amputation analogy from our training? This is where you apply it, and put numbers to it. 

STEP 2 - TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING. 

Prepare some questions for the information you are seeking. 

Ask your manager or another colleague to play the role of your customer and execute a dry run as if you were in a real customer scenario. 

After the session, ask for feedback from whoever played the role of the customer. 

• Did the questions work to get the information you were looking for?
• Would that information help you to qualify your opportunity (Identified pain / Metrics)? 
• Were you comfortable asking those questions? 

If not, modify your questions and repeat the dry run until you feel confident with your approach. 

Effective salespeople prepare for calls and regularly seek constructive feedback. It doesn’t just ‘come naturally’ despite what some people would like you to believe.

STEP 3 - TEST YOUR TECHNIQUE

Now it’s time to test your questioning technique with a prospective customer.

As you did for your dry run, prepare some questions for the information you are seeking. 

Share your preparation with a colleague who can join you in the customer meeting (e.g., SE, manager or another AE). 

Divide up the subject areas for question topics and then work together to ask these questions in your customer meeting.

This serves several purposes:

1. It gives you a chance to ask questions and listen to the customer response.
2. It allows you to hear others ask questions and listen to the customer responses to those.
3. It provides an effective, time-efficient way for everyone in the meeting to learn what works. 

Straight after the meeting: review, compare notes and discuss the outcome. 

• How did the customer meeting go? 
• Did you get the information that you were looking for? 
• Does that information help you to qualify your opportunity (Identified pain / Metrics)?
• Have you identified a potential Champion (remember the markers of a Champion)?
• What do you wish you had asked?
• What would you do differently next time? 

Make notes about what went well, and what you would like to change for the next call. 

Refer back to these notes before the next call so the information is fresh.

Repeat the steps

You may not always have others to help with dry runs or to join calls with you. 

However, in the early stages of embedding your learning, really make the effort to find someone who can help. This, above everything, will speed up your progress. 

It will enable you to become the most successful salesperson that you can be using MEDDIC.

Once you have built your confidence and skills, or in the absence of colleagues to help, use step 1 to refresh your knowledge and reflect on the outcome of step 3.  

In summary, MEDDIC is straightforward to understand in principle. Mastering MEDDIC, and seeing the gains from using it to its best advantage, takes practice and time. 

Successful salespeople are life-long students. 

*Reminder, if you have been on an inspir’em course, you can access the course content on the learning management system (LMS) with your login credentials for the duration of your subscription.

If you are interested in new ideas, inspir'em sales meeting exercises and lesson plans are available to continue the development of your teams.

Contact us today to boost your sales and see your revenue grow.

For more tips on applying MEDDIC in the real world, join our community at inspir'em today.