--- name: deal-qualification description: "Use this skill when you need to qualify a B2B deal or check its health: \"qualify this opportunity\", \"MEDDICC this deal\", \"is this deal real\", \"score my opportunity\". Scores the deal on metrics, economic buyer, decision criteria, decision process, paper process, pain, champion and competition, separates what is confirmed from what is assumed, names the biggest gaps, and gives the questions and actions that close them before the forecast call." license: MIT metadata: title: Deal qualification (MEDDICC) category: deals tags: "Sales, Sales Leaders, Founders" author: prosyo version: "1.0.0" keywords: "meddicc template, deal qualification framework, opportunity scoring, claude meddicc skill, sales qualification checklist" inputs: "Deal notes and emails, Stage and amount, Close date" outputs: "MEDDICC scorecard, Confirmed vs assumed, Gap list, Questions to ask next" --- Use this whenever a deal enters a forecast or moves stage. It produces a scorecard that separates evidence from hope. ## Inputs - Call notes, emails and the deal record. - Stage, amount and expected close date. - Who the rep has met and what each said. ## The play ### 1. Score each element 0-3 | Element | Question | 3 means | | --- | --- | --- | | **Metrics** | What measurable gain does the buyer expect? | Number agreed with the buyer | | **Economic buyer** | Who signs and controls the budget? | Met them; they confirmed the priority | | **Decision criteria** | What will they judge options on? | Written or stated criteria we influenced | | **Decision process** | What steps lead to a decision? | Steps, people and dates mapped with the champion | | **Paper process** | What happens from "yes" to signature? | Legal, security, procurement steps and timing known | | **Identify pain** | What problem, how bad, why now? | Pain with impact in their words and a reason for now | | **Champion** | Who sells for us internally, with power? | Tested: they took an action that cost them effort | | **Competition** | What else are they considering, including doing nothing? | Named alternatives and why we win | 0 unknown, 1 assumed, 2 partial evidence, 3 confirmed. Read [references/meddicc-scorecard.md](references/meddicc-scorecard.md) for scoring evidence examples and stage minimums. ### 2. Mark evidence For each score, note the evidence and the source (call date, email). Anything without evidence is scored 1 at most. ### 3. Check stage minimums Commit-stage deals usually need 2+ on every element and 3 on pain, champion and economic buyer. A deal below the minimum for its stage should move back a stage or out of the forecast. ### 4. Find the biggest gap The weakest element on the critical path to signature, usually economic buyer, paper process or champion. One gap, one owner, one date. ### 5. Write the questions Exact questions to ask next, phrased for the buyer, plus who should ask them. ## Output format ``` Deal: | | | close Scorecard: M x | EB x | DC x | DP x | PP x | IP x | C x | Comp x (total /24) Confirmed: Assumed: Stage check: meets / below minimum for Biggest gap: - risk - action - owner - date Next questions: <3-5> Forecast call: commit / best case / pipeline / remove ``` ## What good looks like - Scores tie to evidence a manager can check. - The champion is tested, not just friendly. - The close date is backed by a paper process timeline. - The common mistake is scoring from the rep's optimism: "the economic buyer is the CFO" with no meeting is a 1, not a 3. ## Rules - MUST cap any element without evidence at 1. - MUST name one biggest gap with an owner and date. - NEVER recommend "commit" for a deal without an engaged economic buyer. ## Example prompts - "MEDDICC this deal from my notes and emails." - "Score my 6 commit deals and tell me which are really commits." - "What questions should I ask next week to qualify this opportunity?" --- # MEDDICC scorecard ## Evidence examples | Element | 1 (assumed) | 2 (partial) | 3 (confirmed) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Metrics | "They want to save time" | "Close takes 9 days, they'd like it faster" | "They target a 5-day close by Q3; each day saved is worth ~$40k" (stated by buyer) | | Economic buyer | "Probably the CFO" | Champion named the CFO as approver | Met the CFO; she confirmed this is a Q3 priority | | Decision criteria | Guessing from the RFP | Champion listed criteria verbally | Written criteria, with our differentiators included | | Decision process | "They'll decide next month" | Steps known, no dates | Steps, people, dates agreed in a mutual plan | | Paper process | Unknown | "Legal will need to look" | Security review 2 weeks, legal 1 week, PO process known | | Identify pain | Generic pain | Pain described, impact vague | Pain + impact + reason for now in their words | | Champion | Friendly contact | Shares information when asked | Took action: booked the EB meeting, shared internal docs | | Competition | Unknown | "Looking at a couple of options" | Named alternatives, their view of each, why we lead | ## Stage minimums | Stage | Minimum | | --- | --- | | Discovery complete | Pain 2, Metrics 1, Champion 1 | | Evaluation | Pain 3, Metrics 2, Champion 2, Decision criteria 2 | | Proposal | All 2+, Economic buyer 2+ | | Commit | All 2+, Pain 3, Champion 3, Economic buyer 3, Paper process 2+ | ## Champion test A real champion has done at least two of these: - Gave access to the economic buyer or other stakeholders. - Shared internal information (priorities, budget timing, competitors). - Sold the solution in a meeting you were not in. - Pushed back on their own team on your behalf. - Spent their own time on the evaluation (prep, data, trials). A contact who likes you but has done none of these is a coach, not a champion. ## Red flags that override the score - Close date moved twice without a new reason. - No contact with anyone but the champion in 30 days. - "Send me your best price" before any evaluation. - Procurement involved before the economic buyer.