When we talk about Metrics in a sales process, we’re referring to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These quantifiable data points track how an organization is performing, allowing for the measurement of specific business goals. For sales professionals, understanding the Metrics of the organization you’re selling to is crucial. Without this knowledge, you can’t align your offering with their business goals, making the sales process less clear and predictable — something your bosses really care about.
In the MEDDPICC methodology, we often talk about two types of Metrics:
To be effective, you must dig deep when gathering Metrics. Vague goals like “increase revenue” aren’t true metrics; instead, aim for specifics, such as “grow our email list by 20% in the next 12 months.” If you can quantify the current state and the impact of these goals on the business, you can build a solid business case.
Remember that depending on who you are talking with, they might have different KPIs than what other parts of the organisation have. Make sure to have good discovery questions in order for you to understand and align the Metrics that the coach or Champion is providing you, to organisational and company goals that you might have heard the C-level talk about in their Financial report or interviews.
If your contact can’t provide meaningful metrics, they may not be at the right level in the hierarchy. If you’re speaking with someone more senior and still don’t get quality data, you might have reason to pause. As the Swedish phrase goes, “owls in bog” – something could be fishy. Find out what that is or qualify out to avoid wasting time.
Time is your most valuable resource as a salesperson. Be direct: if a customer can’t provide the necessary Metrics, they might not be ready to invest. For example:
“If you think your organization will benefit from our solution, we need the metrics to build a business case. Without that, we can’t proceed.”
Metrics are the only way to quantify the problems you aim to solve. Without them, you can’t effectively move from identifying pain to implicating pain in MEDDPICC. By focusing on actionable and specific Metrics, you’ll position yourself — and your solution — as a vital part of your customers’ strategy.
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