BANT

Also called Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline

A lead-qualification framework, budget, authority, need, timeline, used to decide whether a prospect is worth pursuing by checking they can and will buy.

Why it matters

BANT gives reps a quick, consistent way to separate real opportunities from tire-kickers, so effort goes where it can pay off. It is a starting point, some modern approaches soften it, but the discipline of qualifying is essential.

For example

On a first call the rep qualifies with BANT: the prospect has budget, the VP has authority, they need it this quarter, and the timeline is 60 days, so it is a real deal.

Go deeper

Founding Sales: The Early-Stage GTM Handbook Pete Kazanjy · guide BANT in context: the free handbook on running early-stage sales as a founder, from first outreach to a repeatable motion. Open foundingsales.com →

Related terms

Also in Starting Up

See how founders actually handle this on Getting your first customers, part of the Starting Up hub.

eChai Partner Brands The partnership →