Summary
Solution Fit and Need from SCOTSMAN is covered under just one element ‘Implicate Pain’ in MEDDPICC. One could argue that Implicate pain goes a step further as it provides guidance on what to do with the pain.
Originality, and Timescale from SCOTSMAN is covered by Decision Criteria from MEDDPICC, however Decision Criteria covers more than the USP and timeline of your solution, it insists on obtaining a list of criteria which includes more than just matching solution to needs, it forces reps to look at other deal breaking factors e.g. data servers must be in the EU.
Size from SCOTSMAN is not called out separately by MEDDPICC, it is assumed that sales reps would have this basic instinct of sizing up an opportunity when uncovering pain points.
Money and Authority from SCOTSMAN are covered under Economic Buyer from MEDDPICC
Competition is covered by both under ‘Competition’
SCOTSMAN does not cover Metrics, Decision Process, Paper Process and Champion.
Both **MEDDPICC** and **SCOTSMAN** are widely used sales methodologies designed to help sales teams qualify opportunities and close deals more effectively. Though they share the same general goal of improving sales performance, each methodology has a different focus and structure. Below is a comparison of both:
MEDDPICC
- **M**: **Metrics** – Quantifiable data that the prospect can use to measure success. What are the financial, performance, or efficiency metrics that will demonstrate value from the solution?
- **E**: **Economic Buyer** – The person who controls the budget and has the final authority to make the purchasing decision.
- **D**: **Decision Criteria** – The set of factors the prospect uses to evaluate and compare solutions. This helps determine the features, functions, and characteristics that are most important.
- **D**: **Decision Process** – The steps the prospect goes through to make a decision, including who is involved, what the timeline is, and what the approval process looks like.
- **P**: **Paper Process** – The formal procedures required for contract signing, legal review, procurement, etc. It’s crucial to understand this process early to avoid delays.
- **I**: **Implicate Pain** – Understanding the critical pain points or challenges the prospect is facing, and how your solution can alleviate them.
- **C**: **Champion** – An internal advocate within the prospect’s organization who is pushing for your solution and helping to drive the deal forward.
- **C**: **Competition** – Identifying and understanding the competitive landscape. Who else is being considered, and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths of MEDDPICC:
- **Comprehensive**: It covers all aspects of a sales opportunity, from understanding the prospect’s pain points to the formal procurement process.
- **Focus on Alignment**: Ensures alignment between sales reps and the prospect’s internal decision-making processes.
- **Focus on Metrics**: Emphasizes demonstrating ROI with quantifiable data, which is critical for complex sales.
Weaknesses of MEDDPICC:
- **Complexity**: It can be overwhelming for small ticket fast moving solutions, where only parts of MEDDPICC would be useful rather than the full set.
- **Requires Depth**: Effective use of MEDDPICC requires a deep understanding of the client’s business, which may not always be possible if you offer off-the shelf solutions and the client is merely swapping out vendors.
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SCOTSMAN
- **S**: **Solution Fit** – Are your product or service offerings aligned with what the prospect needs?
- **C**: **Competition** – Who are your rivals?
- **O**: **Originality** – Which one of the USPs does the client need the most?
- **T**: **Timescale** – Understanding the prospect’s buying timeline and whether you can meet it?
- **S**: **Size** – Would the sale generate sufficient revenue for us to invest efforts?
- **M**: **Money** – Understanding the budget, ensuring that the customer has the financial resources or willingness to invest.
- **A**: **Authority** – Identifying the decision-makers and influencers involved in the buying process.
- **N**: **Need** – Ensuring there is a clear need and urgency from the customer’s perspective.
Strengths of SCOTSMAN:
- **Simple and Easy to Understand**: SCOTSMAN is a good starting point for reps new to the world of selling.
- **Focus on Fit and Need**: SCOTSMAN emphasizes the alignment between the customer’s need and the solution, which is useful for feature selling and would be appreciated by buyer's who are technically sound. A good rep would modify it to sell based on benefits.
- **Quick Assessment**: early stage qualification is easy as there are only a handful of factors to assess based on matching needs with solution, ensuring client has the money and this money is sufficient to justify your time.
Weaknesses of SCOTSMAN:
- **Less Detail**: It’s a bit more high-level and doesn’t dive as deeply into aspects like decision criteria, decision and paper process, metrics or champion.
- **Less Comprehensive**: SCOTSMAN may not provide as much insight into the full sales journey as MEDDPICC does, leaving out key details like competitive analysis and internal buying processes.
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Comparison: MEDDPICC vs SCOTSMAN
Aspect | MEDDPICC | SCOTSMAN |
Depth of Qualification | High (in-depth across all stages of the sales process) | Moderate (high-level qualification, focused on key aspects) |
Focus | Comprehensive understanding of buyer’s needs, process, and decision-making | Focus on fit, need, and opportunity for quick qualification |
Sales Stage | Primarily used in complex sales from early-later stages | Effective in early to mid-stage sales qualification |
Complexity | Higher – requires deeper insights and tracking of multiple aspects | Lower – simpler, easier to implement quickly |
Best For | Large, complex deals with longer sales cycles | Deals with clear needs and shorter sales cycles |
Key Strength | Thorough, detailed process with a focus on ROI metrics | Fast qualification, easy to apply and understand |
Key Weakness | Can be overwhelming for simple off-the shelf solution and short sales cycle | Less detailed, and lacks focus on nurturing champion |
When to Use Each:
Use MEDDPICC when:
- You’re dealing with large, complex deals and need scientific approach to demonstrate forecast accuracy
- You need to understand and track multiple stakeholders and decision-making processes.
- The sales cycle is long, and you need to manage a range of variables, including procurement processes. You want to tactically use the customer to sell internally (by nurturing Champion) for you
Use SCOTSMAN when:
- You’re looking to quickly qualify opportunities.
- You need a simple qualification approach.
- Your sales cycle is shorter, and you can move quickly based on a basic assessment of need and opportunity.
Both methodologies have their merits, For example, sales teams with simple solutions and/or junior teams might start with SCOTSMAN for quick qualification and move to MEDDPICC as the teams mature, become comfortable in their roles and want to improve their technique.
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