Choosing a methodology
You can set your account’s default methodology in Settings → Sales Methodologies. This default is applied to new deals automatically, but you can override it on any individual deal.MEDDPICC
The most comprehensive methodology, designed for complex enterprise sales.| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Metrics | Quantifiable measures of business impact the prospect cares about |
| Economic Buyer | The person with budget authority to approve the purchase |
| Decision Criteria | The formal criteria the prospect will use to evaluate solutions |
| Decision Process | The steps, timeline, and approvals required to close |
| Paper Process | The legal, procurement, and contract process |
| Identified Pain | The specific business problem driving the opportunity |
| Champion | An internal advocate at the prospect who supports your solution |
| Competition | Who else the prospect is evaluating |
BANT
A straightforward qualification framework focused on four key criteria.| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Budget | Does the prospect have money allocated for this? |
| Authority | Is your contact the decision-maker, or do they need approval? |
| Need | Is there a genuine business need for your solution? |
| Timeline | When does the prospect need to make a decision? |
SPICED
A modern methodology focused on the prospect’s situation and the impact of your solution.| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Situation | The prospect’s current state — what they’re doing today |
| Pain | The specific problems or challenges they face |
| Impact | What happens if the pain isn’t addressed? |
| Critical Event | A deadline or trigger driving urgency |
| Decision | Who decides, how they decide, and when |
The methodology tracker
On every deal detail page, you’ll see a methodology tracker showing each criterion as a field you can fill in. The tracker shows:- Completion percentage — how many fields have been filled
- Colour-coded progress — green for high completion, amber for partial, red for low
- Individual field status — which criteria are complete and which are missing
Filling in methodology fields
Click any criterion to expand it and enter your notes. Be specific — the more detail you provide, the better Alva can assess deal health.AI suggestions from email
When Alva detects methodology-relevant evidence in your email conversations, a suggestion badge appears next to the relevant criterion. For example:- A prospect mentions their budget → suggestion appears next to “Budget” (BANT) or “Metrics” (MEDDPICC)
- A prospect describes their decision process → suggestion for “Decision Process”
- A prospect mentions a competitor → suggestion for “Competition”
How methodology affects deal health
Methodology completion is a significant factor in deal health scoring. Deals with low completion percentage score lower — because incomplete qualification means higher risk. The specific impact depends on the deal’s stage:- Early-stage deals (Discovery, Qualification) — some missing fields are expected
- Late-stage deals (Proposal, Negotiation) — missing fields are a red flag