Successfully managing ADHD in sales with MEDDPICC

[Disclaimer: this is my personal story.]

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that affects more people than we may think. Although it manifests differently depending on the person, some common characteristics include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

The typical stereotype out there is that ADHD people don’t pay attention and are difficult to manage. In my experience, this isn’t true. I have ADHD myself, and I have been an A player my entire sales career, over-achieving quotas systematically. I was a team player and even managed teams. Let me tell you a bit about my story.

Back when I started, being neurodivergent (having a condition like ADHD) was something you felt you had to hide. Nowadays though, people are encouraged to focus on the things that make them unique and to consider them as strengths. Over the years, it’s come to my attention that many entrepreneurs and people in sales have ADHD and to be honest, the more I think about it… it makes sense. Those of us with ADHD tend to have an extra dose of creativity, naturally thinking not just outside the box, but like there is no box at all. We take an innovative mindset to find unconventional solutions.

In fact, there’s a reason why sales roles are often a good fit for people with ADHD. A lot of its main traits translate into superpowers: 

Hyperactivity: Being in sales requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Naturally, people with ADHD thrive in a dynamic environment like sales.

Ability to Hyper-focus: Oh, you thought that ADHD people weren’t able to concentrate? Try seeing them work on something they are passionate about, such as building a proposal or prospecting; it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

Persuasion skills: I often say that you can spot future sales professionals even in  childhood; from how they negotiate with their parents, and how strong their persuasion skills are. This is explained by the impulsivity that comes with ADHD, which often translates into practical and persuasive communication – quite a skill in sales!

Last but not least, people with ADHD are risk-takers. Only salespeople know how much you need to take calculated risks when sending a proposal, taking a challenger approach, or being ready to walk out the door in negotiations. 

All of this is fantastic – but there are a few significant downsides. 

‘It is often estimated that 30% of Sales professionals suffer from ADHD… yet, many do not know that they have ADHD, or even if they do, they struggle with their desire to focus more effectively.’ Saleschoice

The use of ‘suffering’ is interesting – but it is an apt descriptor. Those of us with ADHD tend to be forgetful in daily activities, not paying any attention to things that don’t interest us, and often there are times, where we may have issues organizing our activities. Lastly, procrastination is our worst enemy (hello, admin!).

Some of these elements can negatively impact our capacity for execution. This is why fitting in prioritization and maintaining an operating rhythm is essential. Keeping administrative tasks to the most critical and turning reporting into brainstorming is another key success factor in managing the downsides of ADHD. 

How does MEDDPICC help turn suffering into thriving?  

MEDDPICC helps build the blocks for a quick analysis of a deal that brings value to the organization (reporting) and to the salesperson (call to action, mind the gap) – its framework is easy to remember and easy to fit in. Because everyone speaks the same language, it facilitates the digestion of information, avoiding long reports, and we focus on what is essential to move the deal forward.

MEDDPICC finds the gaps in the opportunity, which is where people with ADHD thrive. They are problem-solvers and risk takers who think outside the box. Creativity is key to unlocking the next level of opportunity.

MEDDPICC often involves implementation through an operating rhythm, weekly or bi-weekly deal reviews, forecasts updated weekly based on the information, and quarterly QBRs.

Because we see value in finding the problems that need to be solved, and because we can control deals with MEDDPICC, it creates a safe environment to continue being creative, take risks, and use the art of our persuasive skills. 

Want to know what to do next? Organize your own brainstorming session with peers and external team colleagues, give them the game rules: let’s brainstorm and think outside of the box… or like there is no box! What are the most creative ideas one can come up with to unlock the missing piece?