Glossary:

Lead Management & Qualification

Master the essential revenue and financial metrics that drive B2B SaaS success. From ARR and MRR to retention metrics and customer economics, these terms are critical for understanding pipeline health, forecasting growth, and making data-driven decisions.

MEDDIC

Short Definition

A sales qualification framework (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion) for qualifying complex enterprise deals.

Definition

MEDDIC digs deeper than basic qualification by mapping the full buying committee and quantifying business impact. Metrics prove ROI with hard numbers. Economic Buyer identifies a budget holder. Decision Criteria reveals evaluation factors. Decision Process charts approval steps. Identifying Pain uncovers emotional business drivers. Champion secures an internal advocate.

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Reps only advance opportunities when 5-6 criteria score high. Partial MEDDIC signals risk; full qualification predicts 3x higher close rates. Teams log scores in CRM to forecast deal health accurately.

Why MEDDIC Matters

  • MEDDIC qualifies complex deals faster by mapping stakeholders early.
  • It focuses reps on winnable opportunities with higher win rates.
  • It quantifies ROI upfront, eliminating tire-kickers who can't justify the spend.
  • It reveals hidden roadblocks before demo investment.
  • It creates multi-threaded engagement across buying committees.

How to Use MEDDIC

Apply MEDDIC during discovery through champion conversations:

1. Metrics

"What KPIs does success look like?" "How will you measure ROI?"
Target: 3x ROI within 12 months (e.g., "$500K churn reduction")

2. Economic Buyer

"Who owns this P&L and approves budget?" "When do they join conversations?"
Target: VP/CRO engaged by week 3

3. Decision Criteria

"What factors decide vendor selection?" "Any must-have integrations?"
Target: Your strengths match top 3 criteria.

4. Decision Process

"Walk me through approval steps?" "What kills deals at each stage?"
Target: Paper process <60 days

5. Identify Pain

"What keeps your CRO up at night?" "How does this gap hit your comp?"
Target: Pain scores 8+/10 urgency

6. Champion

"Who internally sells this for me?" "Can they schedule EB meeting?"
Target: VP-level advocate, 9+/10 commitment

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MEDDIC Score 5+/6 = Qualified. 

Example: CRO pain (IP), VP Sales champion (C), $1M metrics (M), 45-day process (DP) = Advance.

MEDDIC Qualification Matrix

Criterion Discovery Questions Red Flags
Metrics What KPIs matter? ROI timeline? Vague goals, no numbers
Economic Buyer Who controls the budget? When do they join? Unknown, inaccessible EB
Decision Criteria Selection factors? Must-haves? Competitors dominate criteria
Decision Process Approval steps? Timeline? >90 days, unclear steps
Identify Pain Business impact? Urgency level? Low pain (5-/10), no comp impact
Champion Internal advocate? Selling power? No champion, low commitment

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MEDDIC Scoring Thresholds

MEDDIC Score Status Action
6/6 Hot Multi-threading
5/6 Qualified EB meeting scheduled
3-4/6 Prospect Build champion
0-2/6 Unqualified Nurture or abandon

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Key Metrics

  • MEDDIC Coverage: 80%+ of pipeline opportunities scored.
  • Economic Buyer Engagement: 70%+ by demo stage.
  • Champion Strength: 8+/10 commitment scores.
  • Decision Process Velocity: <60 days paper process.
  • Win Rate by Score: 6/6 deals close 45% vs. 8% for 3/6.

Common Mistakes

Mistake Fix
Starting with Metrics questions kills trust. Lead with Pain discovery first.
Confusing influencer with Economic Buyer stalls budget validation. Verify EB title controls P&L
Weak pain stories fail EB presentation. Quantify business impact in their language.
An unclear decision process wastes sales cycles. Map all steps and blockers upfront.
Using MEDDIC on SMB deals overcomplicates qualification. Use BANT for <$100K, MEDDIC for enterprise.

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Frequently Asked Questions

MEDDIC vs BANT?

Use MEDDIC for $100K+ enterprise leads (6 criteria); use BANT for $25-100K SMB (4 criteria) leads. MEDDIC is a stronger conversion predictor, but can be overkill for smaller deals.

When does the Economic Buyer join?

The EB should be threaded in by Week 3 at the latest. Make sure they’re involved before an architecture review or POC.

Can marketing use MEDDIC?

Marketing can use basic Metrics/Pain qualifiers for MQLs. Full MEDDIC requires a sales discovery call.

What if the Pain score is low?

Coach the Champion to reframe business impact for EB.

How do I score Champion commitment?

Rate them from 1-10 based on three factors: 

  1. VP+ level (title)
  2. Willingness to risk political capital arranging Economic Buyer meetings
  3. Ability to articulate your value proposition in their words. 

Target 9+/10 for advancement and test commitment by asking them to schedule an EB intro.

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