The Client
Most companies struggle to achieve consistent, complete sales process adherence. We get it. Reps want to move deals forward as rapidly as possible, even if that means skipping a few steps. For large organizations whose teams use HubSpot for CRM and also follow the MEDDPICC sales methodology, that issue can be even more problematic. Now there are two types of information required for lead scoring and deal development – MEDDPICC data points and your company’s own decision-making criteria.
Without all that data, you cannot effectively evaluate opportunities. Prospective deals can languish and die. Some companies have even decided that it's not worth trying to build the MEDDPICC methodology into their CRM.
That’s not true!
At ClearPivot, we dispel that myth with custom development designed specifically around your opportunity pipeline process. Here’s how we created a user-friendly system to help propel the deal process for one client.
The Challenge
MEDDPICC is a complex sales system used to manage enterprise-level deals that have a long sales cycle and require multiple stakeholders and multiple meetings to accomplish. Eight data points establish the strength of each opportunity currently in the pipeline. However, every company assigns data requirements to each pipeline stage based on its specific context. That includes defining what constitutes good metrics and what criteria to use for scoring.
Our ClearPivot architects always focus on incorporating best practices in the solutions we design and build for clients. But we’re not here to judge or criticize what you feel is the best process for your organization. We learn your process as it works for you, then customize HubSpot to support it.
This client's deals are very complex, and thus the MEDDPICC process requires sales reps to log everything. Every email, every call. And written notes, which are vital because the process involves so many meetings with so many people. Some of this client's deals have involved more than 200 email communications. HubSpot out of the box is not configured to support that type of sales process unless reps have the strict discipline to go into their CRM and update the MEDDPICC properties routinely.
That would be great, but in real life, even the best sales reps can go rogue, trying to fast-track deals even without all the information in place. At that point, you are no longer following the MEDDPICC process.
Ultimately, your sales process is unique to your company. You have an established pipeline and associated information requirements, and you have decided when each MEDDPICC element will come into play. That’s why ClearPivot focuses on learning your process first, then custom-building your requirements into HubSpot so it follows your process.
The Solution
We worked with leadership to identify their ideal sales process and needs. They told us that “know your customer” is Priority #1, so that’s the first step. What is this opportunity? Key contacts, decision-making process, product(s) they would buy, their current supplier, specific pain points. Then the rest of the process can unfold from that. Once we understood how they wanted all that to flow, we created a series of solutions to help the sales team move deals forward faster and more easily.
We built a series of sequential deal readiness cards, one for each of the company’s five designated stages. Generally speaking, these were discovery, demo, pricing, contracting, and closed won/lost. At each stage, certain required elements must be completed before the opportunity can move to the next stage. So each card shows what data exists and what is still needed for that opportunity to progress.
We called this card system Deal Desk because we knew the name would resonate with their team. When reps follow this card sequence, a quote can be automatically generated and sent off to the economic buyer and champion for approval. This saves the sales rep countless hours and reduces frustration.
Here’s what Deal Desk looks like.
STAGE 1
The card identifies this opportunity as Stage 1 of 5. It’s not ready to progress because the sales rep has not associated a champion or an economic buyer (or there may be a name but no title), and they haven’t filled in any pain points from their MEDDPICC values. Once the rep adds this missing information, HubSpot automatically moves the deal through to the next stage.
STAGE 2
A lot of information is still missing for this opportunity, but the sales rep can see exactly what needs to be done to move this potential sale forward in the pipeline.
STAGE 4
So close! This opportunity is just waiting for the quote to be signed off; then it can move to Stage 5/Closed Won. If, for some reason, the deal fails at this late point, the rep will check that box, and it will move to Stage 5/Closed Lost.
Results
ClearPivot performed custom development within HubSpot to create Deal Desk. Now sales reps have a consistent process to follow that facilitates forward progress with clear prompts regarding what to do next. No more hunting around to see which fields are blank or calling their manager to ask why the deal isn’t moving forward.
Instead, reps can advance their deals, answer their own questions, and check the quality of their deals before firing off a quote to the wrong person with the wrong pricing at the wrong time, only to lose the opportunity and not understand why.
When we first started working with this client, fewer than 20% of their deals had complete MEDDPICC adherence. But now, these new readiness cards effectively gate each stage, preventing reps from skipping steps and moving deals forward without key elements in place. Consistently following the Deal Desk sequence automatically moves opportunities to the next stage. ClearPivot established guidelines and governance that ensure the process is, in fact, followed, and that benefits everyone.
This case study shows that companies can successfully build MEDDPICC into HubSpot, making even the most complex opportunities faster and easier for sales teams to manage. All it takes is a ClearPivot expert willing to learn your process first and then customize HubSpot to align with your needs.
