Every hour you spend on someone who cannot buy is an hour you did not spend on someone who can. Qualifying means checking, early and politely, whether a lead is a real fit. Employers ask for it because unqualified leads clog the pipeline and make forecasts wrong.
BANT: four quick checks
A common checklist is BANT:
- Budget. Can they afford it, or can they get the money? Not "Do you have money?" but "How do you pay for this kind of thing now?"
- Authority. Who makes the decision and who pays? In a shop it may be the owner; in a school, the head and the board; in a family, a parent.
- Need. Do they have the problem your product solves, and does it matter to them?
- Timing. When do they want to solve it? Today, after harvest, next school term, or "someday"?
You do not need a perfect yes on all four. A lead with a strong need and the right person, but budget only after harvest, is still worth keeping, with a follow up date in the right month.
Ask, do not interrogate
Qualifying should feel like a helpful conversation, not a form. Natural questions include:
- "How are you handling this at the moment?"
- "What made you look into it now?"
- "Apart from you, who else would be involved in deciding?"