Definition: Qualification is the process of evaluating a potential customer (lead) to determine how likely a deal is and whether it fits your own offering. In plain language: finding out whether a prospect is a “good” prospect before investing a lot of time. Especially in branch systems or for sales representatives with large territories, it is important to focus on promising contacts. Qualification methods such as BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) help to proceed in a structured manner.

The BANT method:

• B = Budget: Does the prospect have the financial means or willingness to pay? Sample question: “Have you already allocated a budget for this project?” – If not, they may still be in the very early stages or simply not a genuine buyer.

• A = Authority (decision-maker): Is the contact person authorized to make a decision? Question: “Who is usually involved in such decisions at your company?” If your counterpart is only gathering information, for example, you should try to get the real decision-maker on board.

• N = Need: Is there a real need or problem that your product can solve? This is determined by assessing the need. A lead with no apparent need is not a focus candidate.

• T = Timeline: When does the customer want to act? “When would you like to have a solution implemented?” – If they say, “No time pressure at the moment, maybe in 2–3 years,” they are likely not interested. If they say, “Next month if possible,” urgency is required.

If all BANT criteria are met (budget available, decision-maker on board, urgent need, timely plan), the lead is considered qualified. Then it is worth putting all your energy into the offer. If many points are unclear or negative, prioritize this contact lower or keep it under observation.

Further qualification questions:

• Does the customer fit the profile? Depending on the industry, companies define ideal profiles (e.g., “SME with 50-200 employees in region X”). Check whether the lead fits this profile. In real estate sales: “Is the prospective customer looking for a property in my area and my price segment?” If not, closing the deal will be difficult – refer them to someone else or disqualify them if necessary.

• Urgency and motivation: “Why are you looking for XYZ right now?” – If there is a trigger (new legislation, relocation, change of unsatisfactory provider), then the lead is hotter.

• Level of engagement: Does the prospective customer show genuine interest? Do they respond quickly to queries, do they ask questions themselves, have they perhaps already browsed our website? Or do they seem uninterested, difficult to reach? Their behavior provides clues.

Benefits of qualification:

• Efficiency: Time is the scarcest commodity in sales. It is better to work intensively on 5 promising contacts than to chase after 20 semi-interested ones. Qualification filters out the 5.

• Tailored approach: Qualification questions provide important information at an early stage (e.g., who is involved in the decision-making process, how much budget leeway there is). This allows you to tailor your offer accordingly.

• Forecasting: Sales managers use the qualification status to make sales forecasts. A bulging lead funnel is useless if 90% of the leads are unqualified. Quality > quantity.

Tip: Despite everything, never be rude to unqualified leads. Even if someone is not a good fit at the moment, they may be a multiplier or develop a need later on. Example: Someone has no budget – instead of abruptly ending the conversation, you can give them free tips and stay in touch. Maybe a year later they will have the budget and remember the helpful salesperson from back then. Qualifying means prioritizing, not eliminating.

In practice, qualification can run parallel to needs assessment – you ask the first BANT questions in the middle of the conversation. Especially in a decentralized sales model (agencies, brokers), qualification determines where you invest your limited time on site. Those who master this spend more time with real buying opportunities and less with “tourists.” This is a real competitive advantage – you are, so to speak, on the trail of the ideal customer and thus one step ahead, while others are still chasing every flag.