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Kinonez

War Room Enthusiast

Celebrated Contributor
Arsonist
Politicker
+7

Most essential qualifying question you ask according to BANT?

Here are some of mine


Budget;

  • In the past how much have you spent on these kind of solutions?
  • If I was able to show you more value for the same or lower cost, would you be willing on learning more?

Authority;

  • Will anyone else be involved in this decision?
  • Will someone else be joining the call?

Need;

  • How familiar are you with (type of product or service)
  • What steps have you taken to secure (this product or service)

Timeline;

  • Is this a priority for next Q?
  • Ideally, by when would you want to see this deployed?

BANT or no BANT that is the question.

Attached poll
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🔎 Prospecting
👑 Sales Strategy
☑️ Qualification Calls
39

71 comment

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sahil
Notable Contributor
22
Deepak Chopra of Sales
BANT is an outdated way to engage with buyers. They don't want to be "qualified" because it's our job as salespeople to create the need, budget, timing. The authority part is the only one I'm a fan of: don't waste your time with underlings. Focus on people who can sign contracts and it'll shorten sales cycles and improve your close rate dramatically. 

For a better approach to qualification, I do like Gap Selling by Keenan. His style is a bit brash for my taste, but he's dead on with his concepts. 
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
12
Sr. Customer Success Manager
100% - Its outdated and seller-centric as I mentioned. My Senior is a fan of:  challenges - goals - actions - timeline - implications 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
10
War Room Enthusiast
That's for the imput Sahil, I am requred to work with BANT according to my company, but will sure check Gap Selling! 
Incognito
WR Officer
8
Master of Disaster
Serious question - are these selling methods SaaS specific? I mean, would the same thing work on a product that is required by law to have and renews annually? Please excuse the ignorance, but my sales background is not even remotely close to normal. My go to has always been top down and relationship/referral based.
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
7
Sr. Customer Success Manager
I work SaaS right now - so I would say it's what I'm currently using. 
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
15
Sr. Customer Success Manager
B - When buying software, do you allocate a quarterly budget? 
A - I see you are [ role ] - would you like to invite someone else to this meeting?
N - When deploying this kind of solution, what challenges have you encountered?
T - Is this a priority for the near future or Q3?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
11
War Room Enthusiast
I like these, have used them before actually!
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
8
Sr. Customer Success Manager
I like it tho. After checking Sahil's comments, I'm into checking new perspectives 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
For sure, if Sahil says something you look into it!
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
8
Sr. Customer Success Manager
yeah - that's something you can't leave unnoticed
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
hahahaha my thought's exactly 
Mr.Pickles
Arsonist
7
Sr. Customer Success Manager
I remember first time the gen corp commented on my post - Fan girl moment
goose
Politicker
10
Sales Executive
You should read Gap Selling by Keenan
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
9
War Room Enthusiast
Will do, thanks!
BenitoBlanco_
Opinionated
10
Regional Account Executive
I think BANT is good as a baseline reminder to uncover certain important information. I think adhering to it (or any other sales model, really) in too rigid of a way is not a good idea and is "outdated" as others are mentioning.


A simple example of very valid BANT questions:

B: Do you have an allocated budget for this initiative? 

(For me, working in K-12 Education, a great way to uncover budget ballpark without asking for numbers straight-up is asking what funding sources they're using for this project. This will also help uncover Authority)

A: Besides yourself, will anyone else be involved in finalizing this decision?

(Gives a great idea of not just if you're talking to someone with authority, but also of their internal approval process. In my industry, sometimes a Principal has authority, other times it must be presented to a Superintendent or even a Board of Education for approval)

N: I boil this down to a simple question..."I know you're quite busy - what spurred you to carve out the time to discuss X with me today?"

(Values their time and acknowledges their importance, they appreciate you being straightforward, any question that makes them talk versus simply answering is good and will uncover the pain points that are important to them)

T: When would you like to implement? Do you have a deadline to make this decision?

(Simple. Don't overcomplicate. They want you to ask this - I see it as being on their side to help get their project in place in time)


The above questions are simple, they uncover important information, and there is no reason why you should feel that you don't have the right to ask these questions.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
10
War Room Enthusiast
These are great examples thanks!!
BenitoBlanco_
Opinionated
7
Regional Account Executive
i just looked at this on mobile and saw that NONE of the spacing i used is intact. i do not blame anyone for not reading the wall of text on iOS
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
9
War Room Enthusiast
Oh no, sorry to hear that. I don't use the app much, mostly because of the notifications and emails, who send me to the website.
bamageorge
Celebrated Contributor
9
International Sales Director
Great content! 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
9
War Room Enthusiast
Thanks Mate! any questions you'd like to add? 
JC10X
Politicker
8
Senior Sales Manager
Bants old and seller centric
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
10
War Room Enthusiast
I agree it is selller centric. That comes with it's pros and cons. Do you use BANT or a diffrent strategy? 
SADNES5
Politicker
7
down voters are marketing spies
Speaking my language heeeeeerrrreeeeeee
JC10X
Politicker
5
Senior Sales Manager
Lesss go!!
NoSuperhero
Politicker
8
BDR LEAD
I'm in channel sales, so here it goes:

B How often are you quoting XYZ solution and how many seats are you usually filling?
A Is there anyone else I should invite for this meeting?
N When it comes to implementation, how hands on are you during the process?
T If not now, when will you be evaluating your vendors so we can have a more meaningful conversation?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
These are good, typically which ones do you ask first?
NoSuperhero
Politicker
7
BDR LEAD
The order doesn't matter really, sometimes I don't even ask these questions because they don't turn up naturally in the conversation.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
Of course, you don't want to force them, like an interview, rather than a conversation.
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
7
Account executive
Here are some of mine!

B - Who leads the financial decisions in this part of the business?
A - Which team member will determine if this was a success?
N -  What roadblock are you most concerned about in this process?
T -  When is the latest you want to have a decision set in stone?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
These are great examples Charlie! Out of the 4, which type of questions you do think are more essential to discover? 
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
8
Account executive
I'd say Budget and Need questions are the most essential, If the prospect can't afford your solution or doesn't need it, the conversation is over. However, if the prospect doesn't have the right authority you can always ask who else can join the conversation, and the timeframe just tells you when to call back.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
I agree with 100% these are great inputs! I've always thought need was the  most important, understanding your prospect's pain should always be your top concern, they might need your product, but you need understand why and what features they need to implement.
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
7
Account executive
Of course Kin! just try to help your prospect understand that your job is to make his/her life easier by uncovering their pain and providing a killer solution!
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
1,000% Always uncover the pain behind the pain!
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
7
Account executive
Great strategy. for you what is the pain behind the pain?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
It's the true or core problem. For example why do you buy a painting? 
AlphaCharlie
Arsonist
7
Account executive
To hang it! to decorate, to cover a white wall!
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
6
War Room Enthusiast
For status, that's the pain behind the pain, another example, let's take it deeper; why do you buy a drill? To make a hole, why do you want a hole? to put a nail, why to you want a nail? To hang a panting. You buy a drill for a pating, to get status when you are in a zoom call. That's the pain behind the pain!
EH20
Politicker
6
Manager
What an amazing analogy!!!
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
5
War Room Enthusiast
Thanks @EH20 !
EH20
Politicker
7
Manager
These are my favorite!
JC10X
Politicker
7
Senior Sales Manager
CGA - Challenges - Goals - Actions
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
I like this approach, what kind of probing questions do you ask your prospects to uncover them?
JC10X
Politicker
8
Senior Sales Manager
You first need to understand GAP selling - meaning - performance objective - performance gap and performance bridge. Once you do - you can formulate authentic questions that pertain to their challenges - "As a sales manager - coaching is a big thing - and usually 3 things go wrong. 1. is root cause analysis (am I coaching the right thing) 2. the timing and 3. the effectiveness. If you had to choose one of these bumps which would be the one that would render better results for you? = GAP - I know the goal is to book more and drive more revenue so I dont really have to ask - and actions - what actions have you already taken to improve "effectiveness"? Is an example...Its a conversation @kinonez not a recipe of questions.
NoSuperhero
Politicker
7
BDR LEAD
Get used to it... if you catch my drift hahahaha
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
6
War Room Enthusiast
I see, I like this train of thought. Any book you recomend where I can deep dive into this? It seems like I could use another perspective during my calls. 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
6
War Room Enthusiast
I do catch the drift! ahahha
Boutdamtime
Politicker
7
Client Executive
I straight up ask if they have a budget allocated for this project. That usually leads to a timeline discussion as well.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
That's a good approach! 
Andr3dwar
Arsonist
7
Logistics Manager
i dont understand how to use correctly BANT, Can you explain me?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
9
War Room Enthusiast
Of course, BANT stands for 4 things:
Budget
Authority
Need
Timeline

It's a qualification process where you have to make sure the company can afford your product, the person in the company can decide to buy or not, the company needs your solution, and in how long they will deploy it!

Does this answer your question?
Andr3dwar
Arsonist
6
Logistics Manager
thanks for the answer!  it's clearer.
SalesBandit
7
Strategic Account Executive
Tip... there is never a budget, there is only valuable project & solutions vs.  un-valued / priority.   Have a conversation about business impacts, this  is what really matters and what customer actually care about.   If you ask a customer "whats your budget"  this only pigeon holes you into a price point, and from that moment forward its a cost conversation, not value.  Be a value seller.
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
I agree, it's important to know if they can afford your product, but never ask them directly. They might even lose interest completely if asked to soon.
mtc
Good Citizen
5
Consultant / Founder
I tend to agree. 

There's no one size fits all. Some companies do have budgets, but most don't. The ones with budgets also tend to have that use it or lose it mentality which can really pay off. 

But ask any consumer product marketer/salesman, they're never asking how much you can afford. They're pitching you on why you need this in your life, and then figuring out how they can make it happen with as little pain as possible. 


I'll often get out ahead of the budget question by letting the prospect know a general price range for our services. I can usually get a read on their response / body language, and have a good idea if it's a go / no-go. 
thesecretsauce
Politicker
7
Business Development
Never heard of this and I studied sales in college LOL
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
7
War Room Enthusiast
We learn something new everyday! No matter your field!
SADNES5
Politicker
6
down voters are marketing spies
B - When was the budget approved? I want to maximize what we can do together.
A - Do our CFOs need to chat to hash this out? Or can we get this done. Is procurement involved?
N - Why now? I understand you are going through a "staffing/tech/digital transformation" and we fit, what can I do to support this?
T - What is the goal date? When do we need this signed to get started by X?
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
8
War Room Enthusiast
Top notch, approximately how many BANT questions do you ask per call?
SADNES5
Politicker
6
down voters are marketing spies
Depends on the flow of the conversation. Usually I am in person, but disco calls are usually email then video call right now. 

I try and just go through a tally in my head, I think BANT is old af. 

Who - can get this signed
What - is pushing for this?
When - can this close?
Where - did the funds/trigger to buy come from
Why - why now? 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
6
War Room Enthusiast
I like this qualifying process as well! I'll test it!
heronious
Good Citizen
6
Senior Account Executive
typically,  clients don't go out every day to buy an XYZ solution.  Who do you need to get help from to buy this product?

RealPatrickBateman
Politicker
6
🔪Amateur Butcher🔪
BANT is a bit outdated in my humble opinion. You might try S-P-I-N as it is more applicable to all types of contacts/decision makers. 


*S-ituation:* Pose a specific situation to a prospect. Ex: Does your team have issues communicating internally?


*P-roblem:* What problems arise with this situation. Ex: It sounds like that is a big issue for your team, especially around closing week, what are the specific problems that arise? 


*I-mplication:* Implicated the solution. Ex: So if you had a streamlined/mandated communication method with delivery notifications, your team would be more efficient?


*N-eed Payoff:* Heres where you sell, show the value of your solution/product/service Ex: Our platform streamlines communication by "x-y-z" so that your team is notified when the message has been read and also sends a copy to email with tracking to ensure that communications are streamlined and manageable. 

Hope this helps. 
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
6
War Room Enthusiast
I like SPIN more than BANT! Sadly my company really wants us to use BANT
Lambda
Tycoon
5
Sales Consultant
i dont even know what bant is!
Kinonez
Celebrated Contributor
5
War Room Enthusiast
It stands for  Budget,  Authority, Need and Timline. I explained it in more detail below
EH20
Politicker
5
Manager
The answerd this question
Flippinghubs
Opinionated
2
Account Executive
BANT is an outdated 
MaximumRaizer
Politicker
1
Sales Manager
Bants old and seller centric
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
ou should read Gap Selling by Keenan
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
I think BANT is good as a baseline reminder to uncover certain important information. I think adhering to it (or any other sales model, really) in too rigid of a way is not a good idea and is "outdated" as others are mentioning.

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