BANT is a lead qualification framework used by sales teams to figure out whether a prospect is worth pursuing. It stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline - four key areas that help determine how likely someone is to buy.

• Budget – Do they have the money to afford your solution?
• Authority – Are you talking to the decision-maker or someone who can influence them?
• Need – Does the prospect actually have a problem your product solves?
• Timeline – When are they planning to make a purchase?

If a lead checks all four boxes, chances are they’re a strong sales opportunity. BANT is an old-school framework (originally from IBM), but it’s still widely used today - sometimes adapted or paired with other methods - to help sales reps qualify faster and focus on the right prospects.