What happens if you don’t follow BANT?
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 6:02 am
BANT was originally developed by IBM in the 1950s and remains the preferred method for lead qualification used worldwide. It has endured in popularity because it is straightforward, with four simple categories to focus on, and flexible, as the framework can be applied to a wide range of leads in B2B. Most importantly, BANT is known for producing real results. It allows you to pinpoint high-quality leads quickly and spend more time and energy selling to them, rather than selling to those who are too early/don’t have a real need/don’t have the budget. With this approach, you’ll be able to save a ton of time and increase your booking rate.
First, if you don’t ask about their budget constraints, you may end up spending a lot of time creating a personalized presentation, only to be shocked when it comes time to discuss price points. As a general rule, if it’s just slightly outside of a prospect’s budget, they still have the power to lobby for more money, so you can go ahead and try to sell them on it — however, if it’s much more expensive than they expected, you’ll likely lose the sale.
Second, even if the company has the budget and the need, if you go to the wrong person, the buying decision will never be made. You must take action to get the decision maker involved in your sales meeting.
Third, and this is obvious – but you’ll never be able to sell cameroon telegram number database something in B2B if the organization doesn’t have a clear need. You must have a deep understanding of their challenges and current situation before you present your solution so that they are a true match and your solution is solving an actual problem.
Finally, finding the right timing is also key to closing the sale. Often, you can’t control or influence the timing yourself, so you have to ask them when they think the problem at hand needs to be solved and accommodate that timeline. If they’re not ready to consider buying, don’t force it! Instead, you should resume lead nurturing—sending them helpful content via email, hosting educational webinars, etc.—and gradually increase their interest. Once the prospect becomes more active, then you should follow up and check in to see if their needs have become stronger.
Summarize
The BANT framework can help you clarify lead qualification criteria, increase close rates, and optimize your sales process. You can make it a standard strategy for sales calls in your organization and ensure that all sales reps are asking the right questions when prospecting. For now, though, just try adjusting your call scripts to match the BANT format and see the difference for yourself.
First, if you don’t ask about their budget constraints, you may end up spending a lot of time creating a personalized presentation, only to be shocked when it comes time to discuss price points. As a general rule, if it’s just slightly outside of a prospect’s budget, they still have the power to lobby for more money, so you can go ahead and try to sell them on it — however, if it’s much more expensive than they expected, you’ll likely lose the sale.
Second, even if the company has the budget and the need, if you go to the wrong person, the buying decision will never be made. You must take action to get the decision maker involved in your sales meeting.
Third, and this is obvious – but you’ll never be able to sell cameroon telegram number database something in B2B if the organization doesn’t have a clear need. You must have a deep understanding of their challenges and current situation before you present your solution so that they are a true match and your solution is solving an actual problem.
Finally, finding the right timing is also key to closing the sale. Often, you can’t control or influence the timing yourself, so you have to ask them when they think the problem at hand needs to be solved and accommodate that timeline. If they’re not ready to consider buying, don’t force it! Instead, you should resume lead nurturing—sending them helpful content via email, hosting educational webinars, etc.—and gradually increase their interest. Once the prospect becomes more active, then you should follow up and check in to see if their needs have become stronger.
Summarize
The BANT framework can help you clarify lead qualification criteria, increase close rates, and optimize your sales process. You can make it a standard strategy for sales calls in your organization and ensure that all sales reps are asking the right questions when prospecting. For now, though, just try adjusting your call scripts to match the BANT format and see the difference for yourself.