Learn about the origins of BANT, why it’s still so popular, and where it falls short for modern sales teams.
The lead qualification framework BANT has helped sales teams more thoroughly evaluate prospects since it was created by IBM in the 1950s. That sort of staying power is unusual in today’s fast-paced market, but research suggests it’s time to move on to other frameworks. Gartner, for instance, says BANT is inadequate because it doesn’t recognize emerging demand signals.[1]
If you’re a newer B2B sales manager looking to diversify your lead qualification strategies beyond the BANT methodology but aren’t familiar with the alternatives, we’ve got you covered. This blog post discusses which helpful parts of the BANT framework you should retain and which outdated ones you can replace as well as other methods for qualifying prospects.
What is the BANT framework?
The BANT framework stands for budget, authority, need, and timeline. This acronym helps sales professionals remember to address each of these elements when qualifying prospects by asking questions such as:
Does our product or service fit the lead’s budget?
Does the lead have the authority to make the purchase decision?
Does the lead need our product or service, or are they just browsing?
What is the lead’s timeline for purchasing our product or service?
How did BANT become so popular?
BANT became popular because it helped sales reps save time.[2] In the 1950s, deals could take years to close and were a huge expense for buyers. Thanks to BANT, sales professionals could identify which prospects were most likely to buy and start conversations with those prospects.
The BANT method is still used today because it’s reliable, according to over half (52%) of sales professionals who said they use BANT in a recent Capterra survey*. Forty-one percent appreciate the framework’s flexibility, and 36% say it helps their sales team prepare a timeline for the sales process.
But research suggests that treating the elements of BANT like a checklist—as many sales teams do—overlooks the original purpose of the framework, which was to prompt important conversations between a seller and buyer.[2] Other research claims reps who rely on BANT risk prioritizing most-informed leads who want to purchase at a price they’ve determined beforehand.[3]
Where does BANT fall short for modern sales teams?
Don’t get us wrong—budget, authority, need, and timeline are still necessary components of the lead qualification process. But some argue that the way BANT approaches these components is shortsighted and outdated for modern sales teams. Below, we’ll break down where BANT falls short in each of its four elements and ways you can adjust your approach for better outcomes.
Budget
The original purpose of the budget component of BANT was to eliminate leads who could not afford IBM’s products. This was an especially important consideration back then, given that the first computer to use a hard drive leased for $3,200 per month in 1956[4], which is equivalent to about $35,510 per month today.
In B2B settings today, reps typically establish the value of their product or service, and the prospect builds a case to persuade stakeholders to find funding. Being out of budget doesn’t have to be the conversation stopper that it once was. Instead, budget is a starting point that may fluctuate depending on timing and a sales representative’s ability to demonstrate value.
Authority
When BANT was first introduced, the power to purchase was typically held by just one person, meaning reps could focus their efforts on an individual and not a team of buyers like in modern B2B settings. This also meant you didn’t have to worry about a purchase decision getting vetoed by stakeholders.
Today, your contact will likely be someone who’s been tasked with researching your product or service, with the goal of passing that information on to the buying team. This means you might spend your time nurturing a relationship with someone who won’t be involved in the decision making process. And while you should strive to make a good impression with whomever you’re selling to, authority as a qualifier isn’t as relevant as it used to be.
Need
Imagine it’s 1956, and a potential customer needs help tracking employee attendance at their workplace. They can’t scour the internet to scope out your competitors beforehand, nor do they have access to every review that’s ever been written about your product.
Under these conditions, it’s far easier to persuade leads that they need what you’re selling because you’re their primary source of information. Today’s buyers, however, spend an average of six months exploring their options prior to meeting with sellers.[5] In other words, they’re well aware of what they need, and they have a list of backups in case your business can’t provide it.
Since some research[3] argues that BANT favors those who can name their need upfront, the framework might actually serve today’s buyers well in regard to the “need” component. But, to not have their role relegated to mere order fulfillment, sales reps should be proactive in identifying ways the buyer’s needs may change as their business grows, and opt for other qualifiers that assess their readiness to buy, such as engagement with marketing materials.
Timeline
The timeline component was originally meant to separate buyers who are ready to purchase from those who need more time. But some argue that timeline isn’t a valid reason to disqualify a lead since it’s not usually set in stone. You may also start to qualify prospects who are in contract with another business and intend to switch to yours once their contract is up.
Rather than worrying about what your lead’s timeline looks like, it’s wise to view the lead qualification process as your best effort to get the ball rolling. This way, whenever your lead is ready to buy, you will have already formed a connection, and your product or service will be top of mind.
What are some BANT alternatives to consider?
CHAMP stands for challenges, authority, money, and prioritization. This framework is similar to the BANT sales method, but it’s more focused on the problem a buyer wants to solve.
Challenges: What problems does the lead hope to solve through our product or service?
Authority: Does the lead have the authority to make the purchase decision?
Money: Does our product or service fit into the lead’s budget?
Prioritization: How soon does the lead need to implement our product or service to address their problem?
MEDDIC stands for metrics, economic buyer, decision criteria, decision process, identification of pain points, and champion. It differentiates leads that are merely browsing from those that are more serious about making a purchase soon.
Metrics: How does the lead intend to measure their performance after purchasing our product or service?
Economic buyer: Does the lead have the authority to make the purchase decision?
Decision criteria: How will the lead decide whether to make a purchase decision or not?
Decision process: What process will the lead use to make a purchase decision?
Identification of pain points: What problems does the lead hope to solve through our product or service?
Champion: Do we have a contact in the lead’s company who has used our product or service and can attest to its value?
ANUM stands for authority, need, urgency, and money. It’s similar to BANT and CHAMP, but it’s adapted for newer businesses that haven’t yet established their buying process.
Authority: Does the lead have the authority to make the purchase decision?
Need: Does the lead need our product or service, or are they just browsing?
Urgency: How soon would the lead want to implement our product or service?
Money: Does our product or service fit into the lead’s budget?
FAINT stands for funds, authority, interest, need, and timing. It’s a longer version of BANT and CHAMP and is best suited for leads that know little or nothing about your business.
Funds: Does our product or service fit into the lead’s budget?
Authority: Does the lead have the authority to make the purchase decision?
Interest: Does the lead want to know more about our product or service?
Need: Does the lead need our product or service, or are they just browsing?
Timing: How soon would the lead want to implement our product or service?
Should you still be using BANT to qualify leads?
Yes, you can use BANT to qualify leads as long as you keep the following tips in mind:
Discuss budget as a starting point, not a stopping point.
Nurture a relationship with your point of contact, even if they don’t have the power to purchase.
Use additional qualifiers to monitor your lead’s changing needs.
Don’t worry about whether your lead can buy now; it’s perfectly fine to just get the ball rolling.
Whichever framework you choose, provide your sales team with additional resources such as our easy-to-follow, comprehensive, and free lead qualification checklist. As an additional resource, your download comes with our lead qualification worksheet, which includes ideal customer profile- and engagement-based lead qualification criteria that sales professionals can use to record their findings for each prospect. Fill out the form below to download.