MEDDPICC is a Qualification Process that needs a Sales Framework!

These days, everyone seems to be using MEDDPICC, which, if applied correctly, is a solid qualification framework. However, I rarely see it used the way it should be. Often, it becomes just a checklist that salespeople fill out in the CRM, resulting in incomplete, inaccurate, and sometimes misleading information.

What’s often overlooked in MEDDPICC are the two most crucial elements of sales: the actions of the buyer and the actions of the seller.

What’s required to make MEDDPICC truly effective—and to boost sales—is a sales framework that tailors activities based on where the buyer is in their journey.

Many argue that every buying process is different, which is true—buyers execute different activities. However, we know buyers make decisions based on emotion, and that emotional cycle remains consistent across the board. The actions buyers take align with these emotional stages, making it easier to identify where they are in the buying process.

Buyers go through the following emotional process:

1. Awareness – The buyer becomes aware of your existence and understands the problem you solve.
2. Interest – The buyer becomes curious about your solution.
3. Desire – The buyer decides that the pain they’re experiencing is severe enough to take action and solve it.
4. Conviction – The buyer is convinced that your solution will resolve their pain.
5. Risk Assessment – The buyer evaluates whether the risk is worth the return.
6. Close – The buyer negotiates and signs the contract.

Most B2B sales organizations make the first mistake here: they base their sales process on a single activity, often something like: Lead Gen → Lead Qualification → Discovery → Presentation → Demo → Solution Creation → POC → ROI → Close. But this doesn’t reflect the emotional journey buyers take. These activities are just tools to help move the buyer along their emotional process.

With a process like the one above, it’s rare that all the data required for MEDDPICC is tested. Salespeople may test a few things, but rarely all of them. This leads to guesswork, opinions, and ultimately, inaccurate information driving sales strategies.

This is where a Sales Framework changes everything.

A sales framework is a structure that allows s a salesperson to execute any one of a number of stage appropriate activities that move a prospect through a buying process. IT takes the rigid, linear, sales focused sales process of most b2b companies and creates a flexible, frictionless buying experience tailored to the buyers journey,

A Sales Framework does three essential things:

1. It aligns the sales cycle with Buyer Behavior rather than the sales process. This reflects the buyer’s emotional stages, which are predictable and consistent.
2. It ensures the salesperson’s activities match the buyer’s current stage, making the transition smoother, faster, and with less friction.
3. It ensures that the salesperson has the right resources available to move the buyer through the cycle.

Why is this framework so critical?

1. It forces the qualification of the information used in MEDDPICC.
2. It enables prospects to self-select, which is crucial in today’s digital age.
3. It increases sales productivity while significantly reducing the cost of sale. When salespeople take the right action with the right resources, revenue goes up, and expenses go down.
4. It improves forecast accuracy.
5. It provides clear metrics that highlight areas where salespeople need coaching.

Let’s take a closer look at how this framework aligns with the buyer’s emotional journey:

1. Awareness

At this stage, the prospect is not aware of your brand or product. The salesperson’s role is to create awareness through marketing campaigns, outreach, and lead generation.

2. Curiosity

Here, the prospect starts to engage—visiting your website, downloading materials, or interacting with content. This is when the salesperson uses resources like SDRs, LinkedIn, and cold outreach to open up a conversation.

3. Interest

In this phase, the salesperson has a conversation with the prospect. This is when the prospect should officially enter the pipeline. The salesperson is qualifying the prospect, gathering information, and determining if they can serve as a potential coach. If needed, other subject matter experts or technical resources may be brought in to deepen the understanding of the prospect’s pain points.

4. Desire

At this stage, the prospect expresses interest in taking a closer look at your solution. This may include a presentation or demo, where the salesperson presents both the problem and the solution. This is also when you see if your “coach” is effective—i.e., were they able to involve the right people for the presentation? Resources here include technical experts or subject matter experts.

5. Proof

Now, the prospect may want to test the solution through a POC, pilot, ROI analysis, or references. The salesperson must engage the right resources to provide this proof. At the same time, they’re qualifying the power sponsor (the person who can influence the economic buyer), and ensuring the pain is compelling enough to justify a purchase—something that MEDDPICC’s M (Metrics) is meant to assess.

6. Risk Assessment

This is the stage where the buyer envisions themselves as a customer and evaluates the risks of implementing your solution versus doing nothing. Salespeople often face “radio silence” here, as prospects go quiet. The salesperson must work to re-engage, reinforcing the value and addressing any concerns about the risks involved.

7. Close

In the final stage, the salesperson must qualify the D (Decision Criteria) and P (Paper Process) in MEDDPICC. The prospect is finalizing the details—securing the necessary funding and preparing to sign the contract. The salesperson uses all available resources to expedite the process.

This is the sales framework every B2B sales organization needs to succeed. It's how your CRM should be structured to drive performance and make MEDDPICC more impactful.

I’m happy to show any CRO or sales leader how to implement this framework effectively. With its application, you can expect a double-digit increase in sales revenue and a 2–3% reduction in cost of sale.