meeting-prep · diff
v1.0.0 to v1.1.0
150 added, 108 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: meeting-prep
description: >-
- Prepare comprehensive meeting briefs — account research, attendee profiles,
- SPIN/MEDDIC discovery questions, competitive context. Use when preparing for a
- sales call, discovery meeting, demo, or any prospect interaction. Triggers on:
- "meeting prep", "call prep", "discovery prep", "brief me on", "prepare for
- meeting", "research this account", "pre-call research", "what should I ask",
- "discovery questions", or any request about getting ready for a prospect call.
+ Prepare meeting briefs with SPICED discovery (WbD) and MEDDICC qualification
+ (Andy Whyte) — account research, attendee profiles, question banks, scorecard
+ gaps, and competitive context. Use before discovery calls, demos, executive
+ meetings, or deal reviews. Triggers on: "meeting prep", "call prep",
+ "discovery prep", "MEDDICC", "MEDDIC", "qualify this deal", "pre-call research",
+ "discovery questions", "champion test", "economic buyer".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose
metadata:
- version: "1.0.0"
+ version: "1.1.0"
author: LeadMagic
category: sales-revops
- tags: [meeting-prep, discovery, call-prep, research]
- related_skills: [icp-scoring, competitive-intel, objection-handling, demo-scripts]
- frameworks: [Huthwaite SPIN, Force Management MEDDICC, Challenger Teach-Tailor-Take Control]
+ tags: [meeting-prep, discovery, call-prep, spiced, meddicc, qualification]
+ related_skills: [pipeline-management, competitive-intel, objection-handling, demo-scripts, multi-thread-orchestration, roi-calculator]
+ frameworks:
+ - "Winning by Design — SPICED"
+ - "Keenan — Gap Selling"
+ - "Andy Whyte — MEDDICC Qualification"
+ - "Force Management — MEDDICC Methodology"
+ - "Huthwaite — SPIN Selling"
+ - "Gartner — Challenger Sale"
---
# Meeting Prep
## Overview
- Win rates are determined before the call starts. A rep who shows up knowing
- the account's recent funding, the attendee's career history, the competitor
- they're evaluating, and the discovery questions most likely to surface pain
- — that rep wins.
+ Win rates are decided before the call. This skill produces a one-page brief:
+ account snapshot, attendee profiles, tailored question banks, and — for active
+ deals — a MEDDICC gap analysis showing which dimensions still need evidence.
- This skill produces a 1-page meeting brief: everything the rep needs to
- know in 60 seconds, plus a structured discovery question bank tailored to
- the specific account and attendees.
+ **SPICED** (Winning by Design) structures early discovery conversations.
+ **Gap Selling** (Keenan) deepens problem diagnosis — current state, future state, quantified gap, root cause, happy-ears guardrails.
+ **MEDDICC** (Andy Whyte) scores deal qualification with evidence. They do not
+ contradict — SPICED uncovers; MEDDICC scores. Both map to the same CRM fields
+ defined in `pipeline-management`.
## When to Use
- - "Prep me for a call with Acme Corp"
- - "What should I ask in this discovery meeting?"
- - "Brief me on this prospect before my demo"
- - "Research these attendees for tomorrow's call"
- - "Build a discovery question bank for [company]"
+ - "Prep me for a call with [company]"
+ - "Discovery questions for [prospect]"
+ - "MEDDICC score this deal" or "what's missing on MEDDICC?"
+ - "Champion test — is this contact a real champion?"
+ - "Brief me before my demo / exec meeting"
+ - "Pre-call research for [account]"
+ For full sales process design, load `pipeline-management` first.
+
## Authoritative Foundations
- The discovery question structure draws from three frameworks:
- - **SPIN** (Huthwaite): Situation → Problem → Implication → Need-Payoff
- - **MEDDICC** (Force Management): uncover Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision
- Criteria, Decision Process, Pain, Champion
- - **Challenger** (Gartner): teach something new, tailor to stakeholder, take
- control of the conversation
+ - **Winning by Design — SPICED.** Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event,
+ Decision — progressive discovery in Connect and Discovery stages. Critical
+ Event is the urgency gate: no CE, no timeline.
+ - **Keenan — Gap Selling.** Problem Centric™ discovery: map Current State
+ (situation, problem, impact, root cause, emotions) → Future State → Gap.
+ Spend ~25% of cycle on diagnosis; build Problem Identification Chart before
+ calls. Anti-pattern: **happy ears** — validate impact, don't assume yes.
+ Full playbook → `references/keenan-gap-selling.md`.
+ - **Andy Whyte — MEDDICC (MEDDICC.com).** Seven dimensions scored 0/1/2 with
+ evidence: Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process,
+ Identify Pain, Champion, Competition. "Always Be Qualifying" — re-score after
+ every interaction. Champion must pass four tests before Proposal.
+ - **Force Management — MEDDICC Methodology.** Source framework for enterprise
+ qualification; Whyte's scorecard operationalizes it for deal inspection.
+ - **Huthwaite — SPIN.** Question flow for conversational discovery — complements
+ SPICED, does not replace it.
+ - **Challenger — Teach-Tailor-Take Control.** Lead with insight, not interrogation.
- These are complementary, not competing. SPIN structures the questions,
- MEDDICC ensures you cover qualification dimensions, and Challenger ensures
- you lead with insight, not just questions.
+ ### SPICED + MEDDICC — how they work together
- ## Step-by-Step Process
+ | Call Type | Lead With | Score With |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | First discovery | SPICED + Gap Selling (current state) | Light MEDDICC (note gaps) |
+ | Second+ meeting | SPICED gaps + Gap (future state) | Full MEDDICC scorecard |
+ | Pre-proposal / exec | Economic buyer prep | MEDDICC must be ≥10/14 |
+ | Deal review (internal) | — | MEDDICC evidence inspection |
- ### Phase 1: Account Research
+ ## Step-by-Step Process
- Gather in under 5 minutes:
+ ### Phase 1: Account Research (5 min)
- - **Company basics**: size, industry, revenue, headquarters
- - **Recent news**: funding, product launches, executive hires, partnerships
- - **Tech stack**: what tools they use (technographics)
- - **Competitive landscape**: who they compete with, market position
- - **Pain signals**: job postings, review complaints, industry challenges
+ - Company size, industry, revenue, headquarters
+ - Recent news (funding, hires, launches) — potential Critical Events
+ - Tech stack and pain signals
+ - Competitive landscape and status quo risk
### Phase 2: Attendee Research
- For each attendee:
- - Current role, tenure, previous companies
- - Recent LinkedIn activity (posts, comments, shares)
- - Likely priorities based on role
- - Potential personal connection points (shared alma mater, mutual connections)
+ Per attendee: role, tenure, priorities, LinkedIn activity, likely MEDDICC role
+ (Champion? Economic Buyer? Technical Buyer? Blocker?).
- ### Phase 3: Discovery Question Bank
+ ### Phase 3: SPICED Question Bank (Discovery Calls)
- Structure questions by framework:
+ | SPICED | Question Examples |
+ |---|---|
+ | **S**ituation | "Walk me through how your team handles [process] today." |
+ | **P**ain | "What's the most frustrating part of that approach?" |
+ | **I**mpact | "What does that cost you annually — rough order of magnitude?" |
+ | **C**ritical Event | "Why is fixing this a priority now versus six months from now?" |
+ | **D**ecision | "If we find a fit, what does your evaluation process look like?" |
- **SPIN:**
- - Situation: "Walk me through how your team currently handles [process]"
- - Problem: "What's the biggest frustration with your current approach?"
- - Implication: "What does that cost you in terms of [time/money/risk]?"
- - Need-Payoff: "If you could solve that, what would change for your team?"
+ ### Phase 4: MEDDICC Question Bank (Qualification Calls)
- **MEDDICC overlay:**
- - Metrics: "How would you measure success for a solution like this?"
- - Decision Process: "Who else needs to be involved in this evaluation?"
- - Pain: "What happens if you don't solve this in the next [timeframe]?"
+ | Dimension | Question Examples | Confirmed When |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | **M**etrics | "How would you measure success 12 months after implementation?" | Baseline + target KPI documented |
+ | **E**conomic Buyer | "Who ultimately approves budget for initiatives like this?" | EB named; meeting scheduled or completed |
+ | **D**ecision Criteria | "What are the must-haves vs nice-to-haves in your evaluation?" | Criteria list documented |
+ | **D**ecision Process | "Walk me through each step from today to signed contract." | Steps, owners, dates mapped |
+ | **I**dentify Pain | "What happens if this problem isn't solved by [date]?" | Quantified cost of inaction |
+ | **C**hampion | "Would you be comfortable presenting this internally without us?" | Four-part Champion test passed |
+ | **C**ompetition | "Who else are you evaluating — including doing nothing?" | Competitors + status quo named |
- **Challenger insight:**
- - "Most teams at your stage assume [common misconception]. We've found
- that actually [counterintuitive insight]. Has that been your experience?"
+ ### Phase 5: Andy Whyte — Champion Test
- ### Phase 4: Competitive Context
+ Score the contact before calling them a Champion:
- If the prospect is evaluating competitors:
- 1. Which competitors are in the deal?
- 2. What's our win rate vs each?
- 3. What are their likely attack angles?
- 4. Prepare trap-setting questions for our differentiators
+ | # | Criterion | Evidence Required |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | 1 | Power to influence the decision | Can access EB and decision committee |
+ | 2 | Personal win if deal closes | Career, team, or KPI benefit articulated |
+ | 3 | Articulates problem without you | Repeats pain accurately in their words |
+ | 4 | Commits to internal selling | Agrees to present or multi-thread on your behalf |
- ## Output Format
+ All four required for Champion score = 2. Enthusiasm alone = 1 at best.
- One-page meeting brief:
+ ### Phase 6: MEDDICC Gap Analysis (Active Deals)
+
+ If CRM data exists, score current state and list gaps to close on this call:
+
```
- # Meeting Brief: [Company Name]
- Date: [date] | Attendees: [list]
+ MEDDICC Score: __/14
+ Gaps to close this meeting:
+ - [ ] Metrics — need quantified baseline
+ - [ ] Economic Buyer — identified but not met
+ - ...
+ ```
- ## Company Snapshot
- - Size: X employees, $X revenue
- - Industry: [industry]
- - Recent: [funding round, product launch, executive hire]
- - Tech stack: [relevant tools]
+ Load `pipeline-management` for stage gate minimums before advancing the deal.
- ## Attendee Profiles
- - [Name], [Title] — [Tenure, key focus area, recent activity]
+ ### Phase 7: Competitive Context
- ## Discovery Questions
- 1. [SPIN Situation question]
- 2. [SPIN Problem question]
- 3. ...
+ - Named competitors and status quo
+ - Decision criteria influence strategy (`competitive-intel`)
+ - Trap-setting questions for differentiators
- ## Competitive Context
- - Competitors in deal: [list]
- - Win strategy: [approach]
- - Trap-setting questions: [2-3]
+ ## Output Format
- ## The Ask
- - Desired outcome: [meeting/commitment/next step]
- - Fallback if no: [alternative]
+ One-page meeting brief. Use `templates/output-template.md` for structure.
+
```
+ # Meeting Brief: [Company]
+ Date | Attendees | Deal stage | MEDDICC score: __/14
+ ## Company Snapshot
+ ## Attendee Profiles (+ MEDDICC role)
+ ## SPICED Questions (discovery)
+ ## MEDDICC Questions (gaps to close)
+ ## Champion Test (if applicable)
+ ## Competitive Context
+ ## Desired Outcome + Fallback
+ ```
+
## Quality Check
- - [ ] Account research complete and current (last 30 days)
- - [ ] Attendee profiles researched (LinkedIn, recent activity)
- - [ ] Discovery questions tailored (not generic template)
- - [ ] Competitive context included if relevant
- - [ ] Brief fits on one page (rep can read in 60 seconds)
- - [ ] Next step and desired outcome defined
+ - [ ] Account and attendee research current (last 30 days)
+ - [ ] Questions tailored to account — not generic templates
+ - [ ] SPICED questions included for discovery; MEDDICC for qualification deals
+ - [ ] Champion test applied if a champion is claimed
+ - [ ] MEDDICC gaps listed for active deals with target score for this meeting
+ - [ ] Brief readable in 60 seconds
+ - [ ] SPICED and MEDDICC map to same CRM fields — no conflicting data capture
## Common Pitfalls
- 1. **Generic questions.** "What keeps you up at night?" gets a generic answer.
- "I saw you just hired three SDRs — how are you thinking about ramp time?"
- gets a specific, useful response.
+ 1. **MEDDICC as a discovery script.** Running all seven dimensions on a first call
+ feels like an audit. Fix: SPICED first; MEDDICC scores build over calls.
- 2. **Skipping attendee research.** Walking into a call without knowing who's
- in the room and what they care about means you pitch to no one.
+ 2. **Champion = friendly contact.** Enthusiasm without power is score 1, not 2.
+ Fix: apply Whyte's four-part Champion test.
- 3. **Question checklist, not conversation.** Running through 20 questions in
- order feels like an interrogation. Use the question bank as a guide, not
- a script.
+ 3. **Vendor-defined Metrics.** "You'll save 30%" is not M=2. Fix: buyer must
+ name the KPI and baseline.
- 4. **No competitive prep.** If you don't know which competitors are in the
- deal, you can't differentiate. Research this before the call.
+ 4. **Ignoring status quo as Competition.** "No competitors" still has a competitor:
+ do nothing. Fix: always assess status quo.
- 5. **Researching but not briefing.** Hours of research that the rep can't
- access in 60 seconds is wasted time. Brief format matters.
+ 5. **SPICED and MEDDICC in separate silos.** Reps capture Impact in SPICED notes
+ but leave Metrics blank. Fix: Impact field populates Metrics in CRM.
+ ## Execution Artifacts
+
+ - `references/framework-notes.md` — SPICED/MEDDICC map, Champion test, question banks
+ - `references/keenan-gap-selling.md` — Gap Selling discovery, PIC, happy ears, checklists
+ - `templates/output-template.md` — one-page brief structure
+ - `scripts/check-output.py` — validates brief sections
+
## Related Skills
- - **competitive-intel**: Build battlecards referenced in meeting prep
- - **objection-handling**: Anticipate objections before the call
- - **demo-scripts**: Structure the demo that follows discovery
- - **pipeline-management**: Track deals after the meeting
+ - `pipeline-management` — Stage gates, CRM fields, MEDDICC scorecard rules
+ - `sales-coaching` — Manager deal review using same scorecard
+ - `competitive-intel` — Battlecards for Competition dimension
+ - `multi-thread-orchestration` — When Champion cannot access EB alone
+ - `roi-calculator` — Metrics dimension business case
+ - `demo-scripts` — Post-discovery demo structure