MEDDPICC & Qualification · 5 min read
How sales managers can run better deal reviews
A deal review should improve the deal, not just update the forecast. Focus on evidence, gaps and the next best action.
Many deal reviews are status updates: stage, amount, close date. Sellers learn what their manager wants to hear. A better review leaves the seller clearer about the deal and more confident about the next step.
Ask for evidence, not opinion
‘The champion is strong’ is an opinion. ‘The champion arranged the meeting with the CFO and shared the evaluation criteria’ is evidence. Ask what the customer has said or done that supports each assumption.
Name the biggest gap
Use your qualification framework to find the one gap that most threatens the deal. It might be an unknown decision process, an unconfirmed economic buyer or a paper process nobody has asked about. One clear gap is more useful than a list of ten.
Agree the next best action
Finish with a specific action, an owner and a date. Often the best action is a question the seller needs to ask. Rehearse it there and then if it matters.
Coach, then step back
Resist the urge to solve the deal yourself. Ask what the seller thinks, offer a perspective and let them own the plan. Over time, sellers start reviewing their own deals the same way before the meeting.