Stalled Deal Diagnosis Card: Which MEDDIC Element Is Broken?
A self-serve diagnostic card that pinpoints exactly which MEDDIC element is causing your deal to stall. For each gap, it names the failure mode, gives you a word-for-word recovery question, and tells you what to do next.
How to use it
Pull this card up when a deal stops moving and you can't put your finger on why. Answer the six yes/no questions in order, find your failure mode, then use the recovery question on your next call. You do not need your manager involved, this is designed for a rep working a live deal alone.
What's inside
- Six yes/no symptom questions, one per MEDDIC element, to isolate the stall point
- Six named failure modes (e.g. Phantom Champion, Metric Vacuum) so you can call the problem by its real name
- Six word-for-word recovery questions with bracketed fill-ins, ready to use on the next call
- Six one-line recovery actions telling you exactly what to do after the conversation
- A triage order note explaining why the sequence matters
- A "when NOT to use this card" section with three named situations where a different tool is needed
- A quick-reference summary table consolidating all six elements, failure modes, and actions on one view
Use this when: a deal has gone quiet, a next step has slipped, or you have a meeting booked but no confidence it will move anything forward.
Do not score the whole deal. Just answer the questions in order and stop at the first "No".
How to run the diagnosis
Work through questions 1-6 in sequence. The first question you answer "No" to identifies your broken element. Fix that before worrying about anything below it. If you answer "Yes" to all six, scroll to the bottom.
The Six Questions
1. Metrics
Diagnostic question (answer honestly, not optimistically): Have you and your contact agreed on at least one specific, quantified business outcome this project is expected to deliver, with a number attached?
- Yes, we have a figure they've stated or confirmed in writing. → Go to question 2.
- No, it's still vague ("improve efficiency", "save time", "reduce risk"). → You have a Metric Vacuum.
Failure mode: Metric Vacuum
The deal feels real but there is no financial or operational anchor. Without one, the buyer has no internal justification to push for approval, and you have no basis for a value conversation.
Recovery question (use this verbatim or close to it):
"Before our next conversation, I want to make sure we're aligned on what success actually looks like in your world. If this project delivers what we're both expecting, what would you need to see in [the first 6 months / by year-end / pick your timeframe] to call it a win, and is there a number you'd put on that?"
Recovery action: Do not move to demo, proposal, or next steps until you have a number. If they cannot give you one, help them build it using your ROI model or a reference from a comparable customer.
2. Economic Buyer
Diagnostic question: Have you spoken directly with the person who has the authority to approve this spend, without further sign-off required above them?
- Yes, I have had at least one conversation with them. → Go to question 3.
- No, I am dealing only with an influencer, a champion, or a committee. → You have an Economic Buyer Ghost.
Failure mode: Economic Buyer Ghost
You know who the Economic Buyer is by name but have never been in the room with them. Your champion is acting as a relay. Deals die here because the EB has objections you never get to address, or simply never prioritises the decision.
Recovery question:
"I want to make sure [EB's name] has everything they need to feel comfortable. Would it make sense for the three of us to get 20 minutes together so I can answer any questions directly and take that pressure off you?"
Recovery action: If your champion resists this meeting, find out why. Resistance usually means they are not as bought in as they appear, or they do not have the access they claimed. Treat that as a separate champion problem (see question 4).
3. Decision Criteria
Diagnostic question: Do you know the specific criteria the buyer will use to evaluate options, and have you confirmed which ones are weighted most heavily?
- Yes, I have a written or verbal list and I know their priorities. → Go to question 4.
- No, I am guessing based on the RFP or what felt important in early calls. → You have a Criteria Blind Spot.
Failure mode: Criteria Blind Spot
You are pitching your strongest features. They are scoring you on criteria you have not addressed. This is how technically capable deals lose to an inferior competitor.
Recovery question:
"When your team sits down to make a final recommendation, what are the two or three things that will matter most, and is there anything on that list we haven't talked about in enough depth yet?"
Recovery action: Map every criterion they give you to a specific capability or proof point. If a criterion exists that you cannot meet, surface it now rather than at scoring time.
4. Decision Process
Diagnostic question: Do you know the exact steps required to get from where you are today to a signed agreement, including who needs to be involved at each step and in what order?
- Yes, I have the full sequence. → Go to question 5.
- No, I am waiting for them to "take it internally" with no clear timeline. → You have a Process Blind Spot.
Failure mode: Process Blind Spot
The deal is not stalled. You just do not know where it is in their process. "I'll take it to the team" is not a next step. Without the map, you cannot identify what's blocking it or who to call.
Recovery question:
"Help me understand the steps from here to a decision: not just approval, but the whole chain. Who else needs to be involved, is there a legal or procurement review, and is there a date by which this needs to be decided for your side?"
Recovery action: Turn their answer into a written mutual action plan with a named owner and date for each step. Send it as a follow-up the same day.
5. Identify Pain
Diagnostic question: Can you state, in one sentence, the specific business problem this deal solves for the buyer, and have they confirmed that problem is a genuine priority right now?
- Yes, they have said it themselves. → Go to question 6.
- No, or the pain they described is real but not urgent. → You have a Latent Pain Problem.
Failure mode: Latent Pain Problem
They acknowledge the problem but are not in enough discomfort to act. The deal is in the pipeline because it was interesting in the first meeting, not because solving it is a priority. These deals lose to "do nothing."
Recovery question:
"When we first spoke, [pain they described] came up as a real concern. I want to check in on that: has anything changed, or is that still something that's actively costing you [time / money / headcount / risk, whichever fits]?"
Recovery action: If the pain is still acknowledged but not urgent, you need to either connect it to a near-term event (a board review, a regulatory deadline, a competitor move) or qualify out. A deal with no urgency has no close date.
6. Champion
Diagnostic question: Is there a specific person inside the account who wants this deal to happen, has access to the Economic Buyer, and is actively selling for you when you are not in the room?
- Yes, and I have evidence of them doing this (they forwarded something, arranged an introduction, pushed back on a competing vendor internally). → All six elements are present. See note below.
- No, or I am not sure. → You have a Phantom Champion.
Failure mode: Phantom Champion
Someone inside the account is friendly and responsive but is not actually championing. They take your materials, give you access, and tell you things look promising. They are not selling internally. When it gets to the EB, your champion disappears or hedges.
Recovery question:
"You've been a great partner in this. I want to make sure you've got what you need to make the case internally. What's the hardest question you're likely to get from [EB's name or 'the leadership team'], and can we work through the answer together now so you're ready?"
Recovery action: A real champion will engage with this. A phantom will deflect or say "I think we're fine." If they deflect, treat yourself as championless and go back to question 2.
If you answered "Yes" to all six
The MEDDIC elements are in place. The stall is likely one of three things: a competitor you have not identified, a timeline that was never real, or an internal political issue your champion has not told you about. Ask your champion directly: "What's the one thing most likely to stop this from happening, and is there anything going on internally I should know about?"
When NOT to use this card
- Deals under 14 days old. MEDDIC gaps are expected early. Use a qualification checklist instead.
- Post-proposal scoring. If you are waiting on a scored shortlist, use a competitive response tool, not a MEDDIC card.
- Team deal reviews with your manager. The Deal Review Checklist for Managers is built for that conversation.
Quick-reference summary
| Element | Yes/No Test | Failure Mode | Recovery Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metrics | Quantified outcome agreed? | Metric Vacuum | Get a number before the next meeting |
| Economic Buyer | Spoken to EB directly? | Economic Buyer Ghost | Request a three-way meeting |
| Decision Criteria | Know the weighted criteria? | Criteria Blind Spot | Map every criterion to a proof point |
| Decision Process | Know every step to signature? | Process Blind Spot | Build a written mutual action plan |
| Identify Pain | Pain confirmed as active priority? | Latent Pain Problem | Connect to a near-term event or qualify out |
| Champion | Evidence of internal selling? | Phantom Champion | Test with a "hard question" prep request |