Is this sales lead qualified? A BANT assessment

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    "name": "Is this sales lead qualified? A BANT assessment",
    "public_slug": "sales-lead-qualification",
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    "description": "Walk through the BANT framework to determine whether a prospect is a qualified opportunity worth pursuing. This tree routes your rep to the right next action — whether that's advancing to discovery, nurturing for future pipeline, disqualifying early, or looping in a Senior AE for a complex deal.",
    "mode": "decision",
    "entry": "Q1",
    "tags": [
      "sales",
      "lead qualification",
      "crm",
      "revenue"
    ],
    "image": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1552664730-d307ca884978?w=1200&q=80"
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  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "Q1",
      "text": "Has the prospect confirmed they have budget allocated or available for this type of solution?"
    },
    {
      "id": "Q2",
      "text": "Are you speaking directly with the economic buyer or decision-maker, or do you have a clear path to them?"
    },
    {
      "id": "Q3",
      "text": "Is there a strong, clearly articulated pain or business need driving this conversation?"
    },
    {
      "id": "Q4",
      "text": "What is the prospect's expected purchase timeline?"
    },
    {
      "id": "Q5",
      "text": "Is the deal size, complexity, or strategic importance above your normal threshold for independent handling?"
    }
  ],
  "outcomes": [
    {
      "id": "QUALIFIED",
      "label": "Qualified Lead"
    },
    {
      "id": "NURTURE",
      "label": "Nurture Track"
    },
    {
      "id": "DISQUALIFY",
      "label": "Disqualify"
    },
    {
      "id": "ESCALATE",
      "label": "Escalate to Senior AE"
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  "dsl": "dag: Is this sales lead qualified? A BANT assessment\nversion: 1.0.0\nimage: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1552664730-d307ca884978?w=1200&q=80\ndescription: Walk through the BANT framework to determine whether a prospect is a qualified opportunity worth pursuing. This tree routes your rep to the right next action — whether that's advancing to discovery, nurturing for future pipeline, disqualifying early, or looping in a Senior AE for a complex deal.\ntags: sales, lead qualification, crm, revenue\nentry: Q1\n\nQ1: Has the prospect confirmed they have budget allocated or available for this type of solution?\n  hint: Budget confirmation doesn't require an exact number — look for signals like an approved budget line, a recent purchase of a comparable solution, or a clear statement that funds can be made available. Avoid accepting vague answers like \"we'll figure it out\" as confirmed budget. If they're still in planning cycles, probe the timeline before moving on. A prospect who says \"we'd need to find budget\" is telling you the need is not yet a priority.\n  yes -> Q2\n  no  -> Q3\n\nQ2: Are you speaking directly with the economic buyer or decision-maker, or do you have a clear path to them?\n  hint: The economic buyer is the person who can sign the contract or approve the spend. \"Clear path\" means your champion has explicitly agreed to introduce you or sponsor internal access — not just a hopeful assumption. If you're stuck at a lower level with no introduction promised, that's a risk flag worth noting before advancing. Multi-stakeholder deals require mapping all decision-makers before moving to formal proposal.\n  yes -> Q4\n  no  -> [NURTURE]\n\nQ3: Is there a strong, clearly articulated pain or business need driving this conversation?\n  hint: A strong need is one the prospect has described in their own words with real business impact — lost revenue, compliance risk, operational inefficiency, or customer churn. If the need is vague or the prospect is \"just exploring,\" the opportunity may not be mature enough to advance. Use this question to distinguish genuine urgency from casual interest. Ask the prospect what happens if they do nothing — a compelling answer signals real pain.\n  yes -> Q4\n  no  -> [DISQUALIFY]\n\nQ4: What is the prospect's expected purchase timeline?\n  hint: Timeline shapes how you should prioritize and resource this opportunity. A deal closing within 90 days typically justifies active pursuit and executive involvement. Deals beyond 6 months may still be valuable but require a nurture strategy rather than active selling cycles. Use the prospect's own words — if they say \"no rush,\" probe for what would change that. Look for external forcing functions like contract renewals, board reviews, or compliance deadlines.\n  A: Within 90 days -> [QUALIFIED]\n  B: 3–6 months -> Q5\n  C: Beyond 6 months or undefined -> [NURTURE]\n\nQ5: Is the deal size, complexity, or strategic importance above your normal threshold for independent handling?\n  hint: Consider deal size relative to your average ACV, whether the account is on a named or strategic list, whether multiple stakeholders or procurement layers are involved, or whether the technical requirements exceed standard scope. When in doubt, a quick internal calibration with your manager or Senior AE costs little and can prevent mis-scoping early in the cycle. Enterprise logos, regulated industries, and multi-division accounts almost always warrant escalation.\n  yes -> [ESCALATE]\n  no  -> [NURTURE]\n\n[QUALIFIED]: Qualified Lead\n  color: #16a34a\n  description: This lead meets the core BANT criteria and is ready to advance to an active sales cycle. Schedule a formal discovery call within 48 hours to map stakeholders, confirm technical fit, and establish mutual success criteria. Log the opportunity in your CRM with budget, authority, need, and timeline fields populated. Set a follow-up task and propose a next step with a specific date before leaving the conversation. Create a mutual close plan and share it with the prospect to confirm alignment on the path forward.\n  code: SALES-QL-001\n\n[NURTURE]: Nurture Track\n  color: #2563eb\n  description: This prospect shows interest but lacks one or more BANT elements needed to justify active selling investment right now. Enroll them in a structured nurture sequence — a mix of relevant content, quarterly check-ins, and event invitations — to stay top of mind without over-investing rep time. Set a CRM reminder to re-qualify in 60–90 days or sooner if a trigger event occurs such as a funding round, leadership change, or renewal cycle. Document the specific gap — budget, authority, or timeline — so future outreach can address it directly.\n  code: SALES-QL-002\n\n[DISQUALIFY]: Disqualify\n  color: #dc2626\n  description: This prospect lacks both budget confirmation and a clearly defined need, making active pursuit a poor use of selling resources at this time. Log the disqualification reason in your CRM clearly — this protects forecast accuracy and helps marketing refine targeting criteria. Send a brief, professional closing note that leaves the door open if circumstances change. Move your time to higher-probability opportunities in your pipeline and review your lead source to identify whether ICP criteria need tightening.\n  code: SALES-QL-003\n\n[ESCALATE]: Escalate to Senior AE\n  color: #9333ea\n  description: The size, complexity, or strategic value of this deal warrants involvement from a Senior Account Executive or your sales manager before the next customer touchpoint. Prepare a concise deal brief covering what you know about budget, authority, need, and timeline, along with the key risks and open questions. Request an internal sync within 24 hours so the Senior AE can assess whether to co-own or take the lead on the account. Do not make promises to the prospect about pricing, timelines, or product roadmap until internal alignment is confirmed.\n  code: SALES-QL-004\n"
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