BANT: The Quick Qualifying Check
Early on, check Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline, and stop chasing deals that fail most of them.
Long-standing sales lore, said to come from IBM, with no published study of whether it predicts wins.
Why it works
Your time is the scarcest thing you have. Four plain questions show early whether there is a real deal, so you can spend your follow-up on prospects who can buy.
How to do it
- Need first: is there a named problem with a cost?
- Timeline: by when must it be solved?
- Authority: who decides, and are they in the room?
- Budget: is money set aside, or can it be?
- If two or more are unknown, make finding them your next step, not a proposal.
What to say
By when do you need this person in the seat?
How have you paid for hiring help before?
Who signs off on an agency agreement here?
Avoid
Asking all four like a form in the first five minutes. Weave them into the conversation once you understand the problem.
Example
A Bhopal startup founder was keen and friendly, but had no budget until his funding round closed. Shalini noted the timeline, set a reminder for the month the round was due, and spent that week on two prospects who were ready.
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