Sales Execution
How to Score a Deal with MEDDPICC
Score each MEDDPICC letter from 0 to 3 for a total out of 24: scoring criteria by letter, thresholds by stage, a worked example and Salesforce setup.
Olivier Toledano
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To score a deal with MEDDPICC, rate each of the eight letters on the same scale, from 0 (unknown) to 3 (validated by the buyer), then add them up for a score out of 24. The score only works if every level has a clear definition, so two reps scoring the same deal land on the same number.
A filled MEDDPICC field tells you a rep wrote something down. A score tells you how much of the deal is proven. This guide shows how to build that score, set thresholds by stage, and use it in deal reviews and forecasts.
The MEDDPICC scoring scale
Use four levels for every letter. The test at each level is not “did the rep fill the field?” but “what evidence do we have?”
Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
0 | Unknown | We don’t know. The field is empty or says “TBD.” |
1 | Assumed | The rep believes it, but the buyer hasn’t said it. |
2 | Identified | The buyer stated it in a call, meeting, or email. |
3 | Validated | The buyer confirmed it with an action or a document. |
The gap between 1 and 2 is where most forecasts go wrong. An assumption written in a CRM field looks exactly like a fact.
MEDDPICC scoring criteria, letter by letter
Generic levels aren’t enough. Define what 1, 2, and 3 mean for each letter, and publish the grid to the whole team.
Letter | 1 — Assumed | 2 — Identified | 3 — Validated |
|---|---|---|---|
Metrics | The rep estimates the ROI | The buyer states a business goal | Baseline, target, and deadline are quantified and agreed with the Economic Buyer |
Economic Buyer | The rep guesses who signs | The buyer names the budget owner | The Economic Buyer has met you and engaged on the business case |
Decision Criteria | The rep infers what matters | The buyer lists the criteria | Criteria are documented and ranked, and you meet the must-haves |
Decision Process | The rep guesses the steps | The buyer describes the steps | Steps, owners, and dates are confirmed, with a compelling event |
Paper Process | Legal and procurement steps are assumed | Reviewers and steps are named | Owners and timing are confirmed, and paperwork has started |
Identify Pain | A generic problem | The buyer describes a specific problem | The cost of inaction is quantified and tied to a current priority |
Champion | A friendly contact | A contact with influence and a personal stake | The Champion has acted: introduced the Economic Buyer or shared internal information |
Competition | The rep assumes the alternatives | The buyer names the alternatives, including the status quo | The buyer confirms why you’re preferred over each one |
Level 3 always requires evidence: a meeting held, a document shared, an email received. If you can’t point to it, it’s a 2.
From score to decision
A total out of 24 means little on its own. A score of 12 is healthy in discovery and alarming at proposal. Set a minimum score for each stage, plus a few letters that block progress on their own.
Set thresholds by stage
Here is a starting point. Calibrate it on your own win/loss history.
Stage | Minimum score | Letters that must be at 2 or more |
|---|---|---|
Discovery | 6 / 24 | Identify Pain |
Evaluation | 12 / 24 | Identify Pain, Metrics, Champion |
Proposal | 18 / 24 | Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process |
Commit | 21 / 24 | Every letter, with Economic Buyer and Champion at 3 |
Use knockout letters
Some gaps kill deals regardless of the total. A deal at 20 out of 24 with an unknown Economic Buyer is not a commit. Treat any letter at 0 past Evaluation as a blocker that must be resolved before the deal moves forward.
A worked example
A deal sits in Proposal with a close date this quarter. Here’s how it scores:
Letter | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
Metrics | 2 | The buyer wants to cut ramp time, but no target is agreed |
Economic Buyer | 1 | The rep assumes the CFO signs |
Decision Criteria | 3 | Ranked criteria shared in writing |
Decision Process | 2 | Steps described, no dates |
Paper Process | 0 | Never discussed |
Identify Pain | 3 | Cost of inaction quantified by the buyer |
Champion | 2 | Influential contact, hasn’t acted yet |
Competition | 2 | Two alternatives named |
Total | 15 / 24 |
The verdict: 15 is below the Proposal threshold of 18, and the Economic Buyer is only assumed. The deal doesn’t belong in this quarter’s commit. The next actions are clear: ask the Champion to set up a meeting with the CFO, and open the Paper Process conversation now.
Calibrate the model
Start simple: every letter counts equally. After a couple of quarters, compare the scores of won and lost deals at each stage.
Adjust thresholds. If deals that closed often sat below your Proposal threshold, it’s too strict. If deals above it still slipped, it’s too loose.
Add weights only where the data shows it. If lost deals keep failing on the same letter, such as Economic Buyer or Paper Process, give that letter more weight or make it a knockout.
Keep the grid stable within a quarter. Changing definitions mid-quarter makes scores impossible to compare.
Common pitfalls
Optimistic self-scoring. Reps scoring their own deals tend to round up. Fix it with the evidence rule: no level 3 without a meeting, a document, or an email to point to. Managers check the 3s in deal reviews.
Scoring once. A score from week two is not a score in week ten. Champions leave, criteria change, and new competitors appear. Rescore after every meaningful buyer interaction.
Confusing filled with true. A text field that says “CFO” doesn’t make the Economic Buyer validated. Score the evidence, not the field.
Hiding the score from reps. A score used only by managers feels like surveillance. Share it with reps and use the gaps to plan next steps, not to judge them.
A score is only as good as the data behind it
A MEDDPICC score answers one question: how qualified does this deal look? It doesn’t answer a second one: can you trust what you’re looking at?
Two deals can both score 21 out of 24. One was rescored yesterday from a call with the Economic Buyer. The other hasn’t been updated in two months, and its Champion left the company last week. Same score, very different risk.
That’s why qualification and data reliability should be read side by side:
The qualification score measures the deal: how much of MEDDPICC is proven.
The reliability score measures the data: how complete, fresh, and consistent the fields behind the score are.
A high qualification score on unreliable data is a forecast risk, not a commit. The Revenue Data Reliability Index (RDRI) is one way to measure the second score. See how to measure CRM data reliability.
How to set up MEDDPICC scoring in Salesforce
Create one picklist per letter on the Opportunity, with the four levels: 0 Unknown, 1 Assumed, 2 Identified, 3 Validated.
Add a formula field that sums the eight values into a score out of 24.
Add a “last scored” date so reviewers can spot stale scores at a glance.
Use validation rules for stage gates. Block a move to Proposal or Commit when the score or a knockout letter is below threshold.
Build a pipeline report that shows score, stage, and close date together, and review it weekly.
For the field setup itself, see our guide on how to implement MEDDPICC and MEDDIC in Salesforce.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a MEDDPICC score?
A MEDDPICC score rates each of the eight MEDDPICC elements on a common scale, usually 0 to 3, and adds them into a total out of 24. It shows how much of a deal’s qualification is proven by evidence from the buyer.
What is a good MEDDPICC score?
It depends on the stage. A starting point is 6 out of 24 in discovery, 12 in evaluation, 18 at proposal, and 21 at commit, with no critical letter left at 0. Calibrate these thresholds on your own won and lost deals.
Should MEDDPICC letters be weighted?
Not at first. Start with equal weights, then add weight only to the letters that your loss history shows are decisive, often Economic Buyer or Paper Process.
Can you score MEDDIC the same way?
Yes. MEDDIC has six letters, so the same 0 to 3 scale gives a total out of 18. Adjust the stage thresholds accordingly.
How often should a deal be rescored?
After every meaningful buyer interaction, and at least before each deal review. A score that hasn’t been updated recently should be treated as unreliable.
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