The Context of Confidence

Are you confident?

It’s Monday. You’re in the monthly sales forecast review with senior leadership. Your district is the largest and often provides the greatest revenue growth to the top line. This quarter is crucial to investors. Having firm numbers is vital. Everyone knows that variation in your number can move the needle for the whole company. So, it should come as no surprise that leadership is challenging the veracity of your forecast.

We’ve already discussed how MEDDIC is not only a sales qualification methodology that ensures you are pursuing the right deals but can significantly improve your ability to forecast sales accurately. If you’ve implemented MEDDIC in your team, you feel confident. So, why don’t you feel confident?

Trust, But Verify

You trust your sellers. They’re all seasoned, well-trained WINNERS! Why the crisis of confidence? Lack of validation and verification is why. Though Pushkin put it to pen first, Ronald Regan recordpopularized the phrase when speaking of the START treaty with the former Soviet Union. “Trust, but verify.”

Unfortunately, MEDDIC's strength is often known only to the sales executive. Consider the risk if your MEDDIC is untested. How do they know if their Champion is a Champion? They could be simply a coach. Do we have the complete Decision Criteria? I’ve often seen a deal fall apart after weeks of evaluation simply because a crucial but unidentified criterion was not satisfied. Are we targeting the genuine Economic Buyer or just another stakeholder? Their approval will be required, but do they ultimately hold the budget? Have we established value on the right Metric? Maybe this Metric is important to our Champion but not what the business truly cares about.

Test Not Persecute

Testing MEDDIC is not about casting doubt, throwing suspicion, or finding the “Gotchya!”. When leveraged properly, MEDDIC can help promote a culture of accountability. When we test the veracity and validity of MEDDIC with our sales executives, we arm ourselves with the context to confidently communicate upward. And, when we communicate with confidence and are prepared to provide context, we overcome reproach and scrutiny. Nobody needs that on a Monday.

I’m not suggesting you hold MEDDIC trials or start interrogating sales executives with bright lamps and lie detectors. Creating adversarial situations makes your sales executives defensive and more entrenched in their beliefs. Not positive. Not healthy. Remember, this is all about accountability and confidence.

Gaining Confidence

You can start today by testing MEDDIC in regular deal reviews or sales forecasting calls. Consider it MEDDIC strength training. Start with simple questions when you feel any aspect of MEDDIC may be weak.

Tell me why?

· Why do you feel this is correct?

· What supporting indications have you heard?

· What has the customer stated that supports why?

Who agrees?

· Who’s validated this?

· If asked, who else would corroborate this?

· Do your colleagues agree?

Confirmation?

· Have you presented this information back to your customer?

· Have you reviewed this directly with your customer?

· On what occasion? How often? At what stages?

· Have they corrected anything?

How well do you know them?

· Have you met them? Been face-to-face?

· Do you have the opinions and impressions of others?

· Is this how they feel or only what you have heard second-hand?

Who disagrees?

· Where might others disagree?

· What might others say in contrast to what you believe and why?

When there is strength in MEDDIC, responses come easily and authentically. Armed with the context around MEDDIC, all will have confidence in your sales forecast.

🎬 Take Action

• Start incorporating validating questions into your deal reviews and sales forecast.

• Ensure sales executives are recording the WHY to MEDDIC and not just the WHAT.

• Challenge and test. Don’t persecute.

• Encourage your team to seek out strength when faced with a weak MEDDIC.

Learning More

MEDDIC Mondays is dedicated to educating everyone on the MEDDIC Qualification framework, one Monday at a time. As sellers, we understand our profession's competing needs, such as weekly team meetings, forecast calls, cold calling, prospecting, deal reviews, contract negotiations, sales enablement, product updates, and herding cats. We find the best way the get better at something is to schedule a dedicated time (15 minutes on Monday morning) to explore an aspect of the topic and implement that throughout the week in thought and practice. Sign up below to have MEDDIC Mondays delivered every Monday morning to your inbox.