The sequence of steps, approvals and people a buyer moves through to reach a decision; best mapped backwards from who signs.
Also known as:
Buying process, Decision-making process
The Decision Process is the sequence of steps, approvals and people a buyer must move through to reach a decision. It is the second D in MEDDPICC. The reliable way to map it is backwards: start from who signs, then work back through technical validation, the business case, approvals and the calendar dates in between.
Build a mutual action plan with named owners and dates, and use it to drive the next step rather than chase it. Process is not progress: insist on observable buyer actions, such as a scheduled security review, before advancing a stage. If a step slips, move the deal back.
Stage exits in the systems we install require a mapped decision process, confirmed with the champion, not guessed from a previous deal. In coaching we ask reps to walk the process as a timeline, naming who signs off what, when and why.
MEDDPICC has eight elements, and the Decision Process is one of them. See the whole framework, the deal health scorecard and the practical guides on the MEDDPICC hub.
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