Metrics are the specific, measurable indicators that demonstrate the tangible value your solution can provide, allowing stakeholders to assess its impact and effectiveness.
Where can metrics originate from?
Picture your customer in the future, live with your solution.
What KPIs are they using to measure the impact it has had
within their organization? It is likely that some of these
KPIs can form your Metrics.
Metrics and the Discovery Process
Without discovery, there are no meaningful metrics!
Avoid the Rookie Mistakes
Sellers often make the mistake of aligning their metrics solely with the value proposition of their solution. They assume that since their solution is typically used to improve conversion rates, the metric for the customer must automatically be an increase in conversion rate.
This is a classic rookie mistake.
METRICS NEED TO BE APPLICABLE
Metrics need to be applicable to the organization you are selling to, and the only way to do that effectively is to take your customers through a discovery process.
YOU NEED TO GO DEEP
Elite sellers know they have to be patient and go deep in discovery to truly uncover the full extent of value and pain within an organization they are selling to. Average sellers don’t go deep on Discovery. Instead, they look to ‘Identify the Pain’, and once they do they shift into pitch mode, leaving a tonne of value and pain uncovered. The best sellers see uncovering pain as a loose thread and once they pull on it they know it uncovers more and more, uncovering the most value.
ABC - Always be curious
Last but not least, don’t forget that your Discovery isn’t a single stage. You should remain in Discovery mode throughout your deal, right up to the last few moments.
Leverage Metrics in Your Initial Meeting to Start the Dialogue
Securing a first meeting with your customer takes a lot of effort. Yet, sellers often sabotage the opportunity by rushing into discovery too soon or, even worse, skipping discovery altogether and jumping straight into a basic sales pitch. In this video, an excerpt from our Online MEDDPICC Training Course, we demonstrate how to effectively use metrics during the first meeting to highlight and uncover value.
ALWAYS DRIVE URGENCY
Metrics play a critical role in creating urgency with customers. Leading enterprise sales teams leverage a proven approach called ‘The Three Why’s’ to help salespeople zero in on what truly matters when engaging potential clients.
Why should you choose our company?
Why should you make this purchase now?
Why is this type of solution the right approach?
Metrics play a crucial role in reinforcing positive intent, particularly in Questions 1 and 3. By quantifying the solution’s value, they provide evidence of its effectiveness and impact. Metrics also help build a compelling business case that answers Question 2—demonstrating why the customer should invest now and highlighting the cost of inaction.
For Question 2, it’s important to dig deeper to uncover the right metrics. These metrics are critical, as they will influence whether the customer decides to move forward with your solution, choose a competitor’s, or take no action at all. By identifying measurable business drivers, you can clearly demonstrate the cost of delay and the urgency to act.
Incorporating Metrics Into Your Success Criteria
A success criteria is a valuable tool for aligning with a business case or supporting initiatives like a pilot, test, or proof of concept. It defines clear, measurable outcomes that both parties agree on, helping ensure that the solution delivers the intended results and builds confidence for broader adoption.
If you’re pursuing this approach, it’s vital to define a clear 'Success Criteria' early on to ensure your deal’s success. This involves setting specific objectives and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure what you intend to prove through the test or pilot.
Although your Success Criteria and metrics may overlap, they aren’t always directly linked. A pilot or test often aims to validate different aspects than the broader goal of securing a purchase. Success criteria focus on proving targeted outcomes, while metrics capture the wider business impact.
With this in mind, it’s essential to define the specifics of any test early on. Clearly identify what you are testing and what constitutes a successful outcome.
Once these details are established, you can craft a vision of success and integrate it into your Success Criteria. This criteria should be measurable, as test results are rarely binary. By defining precise metrics, you eliminate any ambiguity that could lead to misinterpretation of the results.
METRICS AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS
If you’re applying MEDDPICC effectively, you should never reach the Procurement stage without having your Metrics fully defined and agreed upon, with buy-in from key stakeholders like your Champion and Economic Buyer.
Make sure the Metrics are front and center when you engage with Procurement. This approach keeps the discussion grounded in business results. Pro tip: steer the conversation toward value at every opportunity.
Metrics and After-sales
Once the deal is closed, responsibility for the customer typically shifts to the post-sales team—whether that’s a Customer Success Manager, Account Manager, or Support team.
This transition is critical in determining the customer’s long-term success with your solution. When pre-sales and post-sales teams are aligned, passing on a customer with clearly established Metrics gives the post-sales team a clear roadmap to deliver measurable outcomes.
Top sales professionals know that successful customers become powerful advocates. That’s why they prioritize a smooth, detailed handover, ensuring the customer’s goals and Metrics are clearly communicated to set them up for continued success.
Harvesting Customer Wins
Top-performing sales organizations prioritize documenting their customers’ achievements. High-level sellers stay closely connected to these success stories, making sure they’re translated into tangible proof points—whether as client references, case studies, testimonials, or other marketing assets that showcase real-world results.
Metrics Summary
Many aspects of sales can appear self-serving to the buyer—but Metrics stand apart. Buyers rarely resent a seller’s enthusiasm for Metrics, because their purpose is to define how success will be measured. Metrics are all about proving the value your solution delivers.
With this in mind, sellers should be relentless in securing clear, agreed-upon Metrics as part of every deal.
This summary offers a streamlined overview of Metrics and their role within the MEDDPICC / MEDDICC / MEDDIC frameworks. For a deeper dive, refer to MEDDICC – The Book or explore our MEDDPICC Certification program.