I suppose that most of us would answer something like this: “A BANT lead is the highest form of lead that can be generated by marketing initiatives. It is probably ready for the next stage in its transformation to a real opportunity – usually a referral to a partner or a BDR.”

But there are BANT leads and BANT leads. You need to consider the following:

1. Did you set the right parameters for Budget, Authority, Need and Time? Do they reflect:
   • A realistic spend that correlates to your offerings and size and type of company?
   • Your usual sales cycles?
   • The right buying group?
   • And what do you really mean by need? Is this “needed” because similar companies possess a similar service, solution or product and the respondent is embarrassed to say “no”? Or has it been agreed by buyers as crucial to their business? Or, especially if a product, has it due for replacement?
2. Do the answers and responses align both with your Ideal Customer Profile and more importantly with past wins? If they reflect those obtained in previous engagements that led to positive outcomes you can be more comfortable
3. What was the provenance of the lead? Was the BANT status the final stage in a process of nurturing and engagement or was it a lucky hit from a large Target Account list?
4. What methods did you use to obtain the BANT criteria? Was a telemarketing conversation with a qualified and skilled agent part of the mix?

Once you have satisfied yourself on these points you will feel much more confident in the outcome!