bant - is it still relevant?

Is BANT Still Relevant?

BANT: Is it Still a Useful Tool for B2B Lead Qualification?

Christopher [email protected]

BANT

To refresh your memory, BANT stands for:

BANT


B - Budget

BANT


B - Budget

A - Authority

BANT


B - Budget

A - Authority

N - Need

BANT


B - Budget

A - Authority

N - Need

T - Timing

For some time these factors were considered the four criteria that best demonstrated whether an individual or company was a qualified lead and not just a raw

inquirer or possible future prospect.

BANT

In a push marketing environment, BANT is a very useful tool for ensuring that sales reps are working with qualified leads.

Push Marketing

Drip Marketing

Inquirers who are currently unqualified can be put back into the drip marketing pool.

Measuring Success

BANT gives the marketing and sales departments a good way to measure their B2B lead generation success.

Measuring Success

BANT gives the marketing and sales departments a good way to measure their B2B lead generation success.

Since sales departments shouldn’t be dealing with, or even seeing raw inquiries, the amount and cost of qualified leads is typically a more important lead metric.

Why Drop BANT?

One of the many reasons to drop BANT is because it assumes that you have a telephone conversation with the prospect.

Why Drop BANT?

One of the many reasons to drop BANT is because it assumes that you have a telephone conversation with the prospect.

In the age of online marketing, this is not always a valid assumption.

Why Drop BANT?

For Example:

You may collect many of your lead responses on a form that contains only the name and company email.

Why Drop BANT?

For Example:

You may collect many of your lead responses on a form that contains only the name and company email.

You don’t collect the phone number and qualification data because you know that every additional piece of data you

require will depress response.

Transition from BANT

So how do you handle lead qualification in a world where BANT no longer fits?

Transition from BANT

So how do you handle lead qualification in a world where BANT no longer fits?

For some companies, this can be a fairly minor change – others may require a complete

overhaul.

6 Tips to Transition from BANT

The following are six tips to help you transition from the BANT

model.


1. Adopt a pull marketing mentality –



• Switch your focus from outbound to inbound, offer lots of good content, and let your prospects self-qualify.




• This will require a much higher quantity of inquiries at the top, but will make the rest of the qualification process more efficient.




• This will require a much higher quantity of inquiries at the top, but will make the rest of the qualification process more efficient.

• Use pull marketing to dramatically reduce your cost per lead.


2. Let your prospects percolate –



• Don’t try to “push them” into buying something as soon as they respond.



• Don’t try to “push them” into buying something as soon as they respond.

• But rather let them come along at their own pace.


3. Promote higher-level offers



• A higher-level (demo, free-trial, gift) offer is something that will entice a prospect to provide his or her phone number.



• A higher-level (demo, free-trial, gift) offer is something that will entice a prospect to provide his or her phone number.

– A phone number which you can use to fully qualify the lead.


4. Always provide options –



• You can’t predict where a prospect is on the on the buying cycle.




• So provide multiple options, including lower-level offers requiring only an email address.




• So provide multiple options, including lower-level offers requiring only an email address.

• And higher-level offers requiring a phone number and possible qualification questions.


5. Make it easy to get in touch with you –



• In the pull marketing model, you have no idea when each prospect will be ready to engage with you.



• In the pull marketing model, you have no idea when each prospect will be ready to engage with you.

• But when they are, make sure there is a convenient and easy way to facilitate the process.


6. Conduct some research –



• If you are selling a high-ticket item, you can increase your lead qualification and close rates by:




o Learning about their company (via their website).




o Learning about their company (via their website).

o And the individual (via LinkedIn) before contacting a prospect.

BANT: Drop or Keep

These B2B lead qualification principles are valid whether or not you choose to switch from

the BANT model.

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Check back in the coming weeks to learn more about B2B marketing and lead

generation!

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About Fusion Marketing Partners

Christopher Ryan, CEO

We Do This:

Brand building/messagingWebsite optimizationContent creationLead generation

You Get This:Much greater levels of awarenessHigher quantities of qualified leadsAbility to generate faster revenue

Lots more information at:

http://FusionMarketingPartners.com/

http://Greatb2BMarketing.com (blog)

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