BANT may be popular but CHAMP works better!

BANT may be popular but CHAMP works better!

We all struggle to qualify our leads. At some point, there are too many (that’s a good thing), but most don’t quite fit what we’re looking for. If you’re dealing with unqualified leads, you are not alone.?

Sales teams everywhere face the same challenge—how do you tell which prospects are genuinely interested and ready to buy? It definitely is frustrating to waste time and energy chasing leads that go nowhere. Worry not though, we have two heroes that come to the rescue, BANT, and CHAMP. These two methods help you quickly spot the right prospects—the ones who actually need your solution and are ready to take action.

Let’s first understand what is BANT and CHAMP, look into their frameworks, and see why the latter works for most of our clients.

What is BANT?

BANT is a sales qualification method that IBM came up with, and it stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing. It helps sales teams figure out if a lead is worth chasing. Let’s break down what each part means:

Budget: Can the prospect afford your product or service? It’s important to know this upfront so you don’t waste time on leads that simply don’t have the funds.

Authority: Is the person you’re talking to the one who makes decisions or has influence over them? You want to make sure you’re speaking with someone who can actually move the deal forward.

Need: Does the prospect truly need what you're offering? This helps you understand if your product or service can solve their problems or challenges.

Timing: When are they planning to make a decision or implement a solution? Knowing their timeline helps you stay in sync with their schedule, which can boost your chances of closing the deal.

Strengthen your follow-up strategies and avoid mistakes.

What is CHAMP?

CHAMP is a more recent sales qualification method that stands for Challenges, Authority, Money, and Prioritization. It was created as an alternative to BANT, aiming to tackle some of its limitations. Here’s a breakdown of each part:

Challenges: What problems or pain points is the prospect dealing with? Knowing their specific challenges helps you tailor your solution to better meet their needs.

Authority: Like in BANT, CHAMP stresses the need to find out who the decision-makers or key influencers are within the company.

Money: Instead of just focusing on budget, CHAMP looks at the prospect’s financial ability while framing discussions around value and return on investment (ROI).

Prioritization: Where does your solution fit in with the prospect’s other business goals? Knowing how they prioritize your solution helps you gauge how urgent or important it is for them.

Related: Effective Lead Generation Strategies Across Industries

Choose Your Fighter: BANT or CHAMP?

In modern B2B, sales and marketing teams have realized there are more factors to consider when figuring out if a prospect is truly ready to buy.

Challenges vs. Need

  • CHAMP (Challenges): This framework takes a more consultative approach by focusing on the prospect's specific pain points. Instead of simply confirming that a need exists, CHAMP emphasizes understanding what problems the prospect is facing and how your solution can directly address those issues. By doing this, you position yourself as a problem-solver and build trust with the prospect. This method also opens the door for discussing less obvious issues the prospect might not have even considered yet.
  • BANT (Need): BANT takes a broader approach, simply asking if there is a need for the product or service. While this is useful, it can miss the deeper, underlying problems that might be the true driving factors behind a prospect’s decision. It doesn’t always allow sales reps to dig into the specific challenges that could make your offering a must-have.

Money vs. Budget

  • CHAMP (Money): Instead of narrowly focusing on whether the prospect has a set budget, CHAMP looks at their financial situation through the lens of value and ROI. In this framework, the goal is to demonstrate how your solution will be worth the investment and show long-term benefits. It's not just about the cost, but about how much value your solution can bring compared to their spending.
  • BANT (Budget): BANT tends to be more transactional, with its focus being on whether the lead has the money allocated to make a purchase. If the budget isn’t there, the lead is often dismissed, even if the prospect would benefit greatly from the solution or could find budget flexibility if convinced of the value.

Prioritization vs. Timing

  • CHAMP (Prioritization): CHAMP goes beyond timing by exploring where your solution fits into the prospect’s overall business priorities. It helps you understand if your product is at the top of their priority list or if they’re juggling other initiatives that may push your deal to the backburner. This insight is crucial because even if they have the budget and need, the deal might not move forward if your solution isn’t a priority right now.
  • BANT (Timing): BANT only asks when the prospect plans to make a purchase. While this is useful information, it lacks the context of why that timeline exists. Is your solution critical to their business now, or is it just something on their wish list for the future? Understanding the "why" behind their timing is key, and this is something CHAMP digs into more deeply.

Learn how to craft a winning B2B sales cadence .

Authority (Shared)

Both CHAMP and BANT share the same focus on identifying decision-makers and key influencers in the buying process. This is a critical element in any sales conversation. CHAMP, however, tends to frame this more in the context of aligning with challenges and priorities, making the conversation feel more like a partnership than a transaction.

The “CHAMP” wins!

CHAMP is the champion here. This framework creates a more customer-centric conversation, making it easier to connect with prospects on a deeper level and move them through the sales funnel based on their real needs and business goals, not just their budget or timeline.?

We're not saying BANT is old-fashioned for qualifying leads, but CHAMP offers a more relevant approach to correctly qualify your opportunities. To close a deal, it’s important to really understand how your prospects make buying decisions. The answers to key questions will help you see if they're a good fit for your business.


Mitos Aguadera

VP of Sales & Marketing | 18 years of succoring businesses grow and innovate

1 个月

good read

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