Announcement:
Today marks our 100th issue!

When I started this almost two years ago, I never imagined what it would become.

What began as a simple idea has turned into a community I’m incredibly proud of.

I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your support, your feedback, and your trust mean the world to me. None of this would exist without you, the readers.

Here’s to the first 100, and to everything we’re building together from here.

Much love and deep gratitude.

#100: How to qualify large enterprise deals correctly


Read time: 4 min

Today, I will discuss how to correctly qualify bigger enterprise deals and convert them into real revenue opportunities.

I’ve said this a thousand and one times. The discovery stage is the single most important part of the sales process.

If you f**k up the discovery, the deal will either stall, ghost you, or completely die.
Usually right at the bottom of the funnel, after you’ve wasted weeks/months chasing it.

The problem I see is most sales frameworks are overly complicated and don’t match the size or complexity of the deals founders are working.

The bigger the deal, the cleaner and sharper your qualification needs to be.

Enterprise sales isn’t about selling. It’s about understanding. You qualify the pain, the process, and the people, or you lose.

~Yours Truly

Think of the sales process like a wheel:

The discovery call is the hub that keeps the deal rolling toward the finish line.

The spokes are the different stages that support it:

• Lead Generation

• Demo

• Scoping

• POC

• Close

If the hub isn’t solid, the wheel collapses.

And if you’re selling deals above $30K–$35K, or anything remotely enterprise like selling into F500 or F2000 companies, you need a framework that matches the complexity of the buyer’s process.

That’s why we use M.E.D.D.P.I.C. for qualifying.

Here’s how MEDDPIC breaks down:

• M = Metrics → What are the measurable outcomes they care about?
  

• E = Economic Buyer → Who controls the budget? Who actually signs?
  

• D = Decision Criteria → What technical & business requirements must be met?
  

• D = Decision Process → What is their internal process to approve and buy?
  

• P = Paper Process → What legal and procurement steps must be completed?
  

• I = Identify Pain → What is the major business pain or risk they must solve?
  

• C = Competition → Who else are they talking to, and how do you compare?

Why MEDDPICC works best for enterprise and $30K+ deals:

Enterprise deals are usually complex and involve layers of stakeholders that must be roped in at some point.

You need a concrete system to navigate this complex buying committee, tight internal processes, budget approvals, legal reviews, and competitive bake-offs.

In these super complex deals, BANT is too surface level.

It works fine for sub $30k ACV, but it falls apart when there are multiple stakeholders, legal teams, security reviews, CFO approvals, and competition.

Here’s the 5 Step discovery framework we teach clients to execute MEDDPIC properly:

Step 1: The Preamble

You open the call by setting clear expectations.
You control the process, and you frame the discussion.

"Today, the goal is to better understand your current challenges and goals, walk you through how we help companies like yours, and if it makes sense, align on next steps."

This puts you in the leadership position to control the conversation and convey assertiveness.

Step 2: Identifying MEDDPICC

You now methodically gather information across each letter of the framework.

Examples:

• Metrics → What business outcomes are you measured against this year?
  

• Economic Buyer → Aside from yourself, who else would be involved in approving a solution like this?
  

• Decision Criteria → What requirements are critical to your team when evaluating vendors?
  

• Decision Process → Can you walk me through the steps needed to finalize a decision?
  

• Paper Process → What does your procurement or contracting process typically look like?
  

• Identify Pain → What is the biggest challenge this project needs to solve for you?
  

• Competition → Are there other vendors you’re actively evaluating? If so, who? And what do we need to show you to win you as a partner?

Step 3: Reiterating the Information

You mirror back everything you heard.

Just to confirm what I’m hearing: your main objectives are X and Y, the decision will involve Z stakeholders, and the timeline to finalize a decision is before (date). Did I get that right?

When you reflect their words, you show you are listening and aligned with their goals.

Step 4: Communicating Value

At this stage, you lightly position the value you can provide.

This is not a full sales pitch.
It’s a preview.

Based on what you’ve shared, it sounds like we can help you (solve problem) and achieve (outcome). I’d love to show you exactly how on a customized demo to specifically address the use cases you just shared.

Focus on outcomes, not features. The goal is to make the prospect want to see more.

Step 5: Scheduling the Demo

End the call by scheduling the next step live on the call.

Let’s get something on the calendar while I have you. I have time this week in the morning and afternoon. What day and time works for you this week?

You never leave next steps open-ended in an enterprise deal.

ALWAYS SCHEDULE THE FOLLOW-UP ON THE CALL.

Key Takeaways

• MEDDPIC is designed for complex, multi-stakeholder deals.

• A lead is qualified once you have mapped out MEDDPIC.

• The close on the discovery call is scheduling the demo.

• Discovery is not a casual conversation; it’s a strategic intelligence mission.

• Enterprise buyers reward sellers who know how to navigate their world, not founders who just pitch.

That’s all for today, folks.

See you all next week!

Darren

P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn here! 

P.P.S. If you’re a venture-backed company interested in coaching, book a call here.

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