Research Blog

Why competency data is the missing engine behind consistent MEDDIC execution. 

For more than 25 years, MEDDIC has been the gold-standard qualification framework for complex B2B sales. Its promise is straightforward: when sellers rigorously qualify deals across Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion, win rates rise and sales cycles shorten. 

But as with every structured sales methodology, organizations eventually face the same challenge: 

Some sellers follow MEDDIC beautifully. Others understand it, but don’t execute it. 

The difference between sellers who know MEDDIC and sellers who run MEDDIC comes down to something deeper than process knowledge: competency. 

And that’s where OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies become the engine behind MEDDIC adoption, execution, and consistency. 

Most organizations adopt MEDDIC to create: 

• Stronger qualification 
• Clearer forecasting 
• Less wasted time on poorly qualified opportunities 
• A shared deal language across sales, marketing, and leadership 
• Repeatable, scalable deal management 

But MEDDIC—like any methodology—assumes sellers have: 

• The Will to push through discomfort 
• The Mindset to ask tough questions 
• The Skills to have value-based, business-impact conversations 
• The Coaching receptiveness to improve where they’re weak 

When these competencies are missing, MEDDIC breaks down, even with world-class training. 

OMG’s assessment exposes why MEDDIC fails in the field… and how to fix it. 

How Each MEDDIC Component Connects to OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies 

Below is a breakdown of each MEDDIC element and the competencies that make it work in real-world selling environments. 

1. Metrics

Engage buyers in quantified business impact. 

MEDDIC expects reps to calculate business impact and tie value to quantifiable metrics. 
But many sellers avoid discussing numbers, ROI, and financial impact. 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Value Selling — Essential for quantifying impact instead of selling features 
• Comfort Discussing Money — Critical for ROI conversations 
• Consultative Selling — Helps uncover business-level consequences, not surface problems 
• Ability to discuss Finances (subset of Value Selling) — Ability to understand economic levers 

Without these competencies: 
Reps stick to product pitches instead of quantifying outcomes, and MEDDIC falls apart. 

2. Economic Buyer

Engage and gain alignment from the true authority. 

Many reps never reach the real decision maker—not because they don’t understand the step, but because internal beliefs hold them back. 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Reaching Decision Makers — Directly tied to navigating to authority 
• Need for Approval — Determines whether a rep avoids escalation to executives 
• Emotional Control — Staying poised under executive pressure 
• Sales Process — Following the structural requirement to validate authority 

Without these competencies: 
Reps settle for “comfortable contacts,” forecast weak deals, and skip the step entirely. 

3. Decision Criteria

Understand the business and technical criteria driving the purchase. 

This step requires deep discovery and the ability to influence the buyer’s lens. 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Consultative Selling — Uncovers the real “why” behind criteria 
• Questioning Skills — Drills beyond surface-level needs 
• Active Listening — Identifies hidden decision dynamics 
• Qualifying — Validates criteria against solution fit 

Without these competencies: 
Reps accept whatever the buyer says instead of shaping the criteria. 

 4. Decision Process

Clarify how decisions are made, who is involved, and what steps follow. 

Understanding the decision process requires confidence, structure, and discipline. 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Sales Process — Maintains structure in conversations 
• Time & Organizational Skills — Keeps deals on track 
• Responsibility — Ensures sellers drive clarity instead of waiting 
• Closing — The rep’s ability to get commitments from the Buyer gives the deal momentum 

Without these competencies: 
Reps operate reactively, depend on the buyer for clarity, and lose control of deal progression. 

5. Identify Pain 

Uncover the compelling business driver behind the deal. 

This is where most MEDDIC initiatives break down, because identifying true business pain requires: 

• Emotional intelligence 
• The Confidence to provoke 
• The ability to tolerate social discomfort 
• True consultative selling depth 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Consultative Selling 
• Emotional Control 
• Questioning Skills 
• Active Listening 
• Supportive Buy-Cycle (affects ability to drive urgency) 

Without these competencies: 
Reps identify surface pain (“We need better reporting”) instead of business pain (“Failure to forecast accurately might cost me my job”). 

6. Champion

Develop and empower an internal advocate with influence. 

Creating champions requires strong interpersonal skills, trust, and value delivery. 

Competencies that power this MEDDIC element: 

• Relationship Building 
• Presentation Approach 
• Value Selling (makes you “worth advocating for”) 
• Motivation — A rep who isn’t driven won’t cultivate champions 

Without these competencies: 
Reps confuse “friendly contacts” with true internal champions who can move deals. 

Where MEDDIC Breaks Down — The Competency Gap 

Even after formal MEDDIC training, organizations often find that: 

• Some reps rigorously qualify 
• Some reps skip steps 
• Some lose control of deals 
• Some forecast inaccurately despite following the model 

The problem isn’t MEDDIC. 
The problem is competency gaps in: 

• Will to Sell 
• Sales DNA 
• Tactical Selling Skills 

OMG’s evaluation identifies these gaps before training and clarifies: 

• Who will execute MEDDIC well 
• Who will struggle and why 
• Who needs skill training vs. belief transformation 
• Who needs coaching vs. who is unlikely to succeed 

Training without a clear understanding of your team’s underlying competencies is inefficient — and in many cases, ineffective. Not every salesperson brings the same strengths, limitations, or belief-driven obstacles into MEDDIC training. If your MEDDIC implementation isn’t producing the expected lift, the issue is rarely the framework itself. It’s the unseen competency gaps that determine whether sellers can execute the methodology the way it was designed. 

The Data Behind the Alignment 

OMG’s research shows: 

• 72% of candidates recommended by OMG rise to the top half of their team within 12 months
• Organizations see an average 53% performance lift from initial evaluation to reassessment when training is paired with competency data 
• New-hire attrition drops from 33% to 9% when hiring decisions are aligned with OMG’s recommendations 

MEDDIC provides the deal qualification engine. 
OMG’s competencies provide the seller capability engine. 

Together, they transform the consistency, rigor, and predictability of your qualification process — turning MEDDIC from a model into a repeatable behavior system your team can actually execute. 

The Bottom Line 

MEDDIC is one of the most rigorous qualification methodologies in B2B sales. 
But methodology alone cannot fix: 

• Mindset 
• Skill gaps 
• Behavior patterns 
• Emotional decision-making 
• Belief-based constraints 
• Comfort-zone avoidance 

OMG’s 21 Core Sales Competencies fill the execution gap, ensuring MEDDIC is applied the way it was designed. 

MEDDIC is the “how.” 
OMG reveals the “who,” “why,” and “what must be coached.” 

Organizations that integrate both don’t just improve qualification. 
They transform their sales force.