Insights

MEDDIC & BANT qualify the deal

Qualifying leads is crucial for salespeople to focus on the right business opportunities and effectively drive them toward closing. Two of the most established models for this are BANT and MEDDIC. Both help salespeople quickly assess whether a lead is worth investing time in, but they do so in different ways and suit different sales environments.

Aligning internally on how to qualify a customer also increases the predictability, value, and understanding of your pipeline. Everyone in the company knows with what authority the salesperson has evaluated the deal.

Disclaimer: Of course, you shouldn’t build your qualification process around these models literally. It shouldn’t feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Adjust these models as needed to best suit your own criteria. That might mean adding or removing a step.

There are different versions of MEDDIC. MEDDPICC is one such variant that has gained traction. This only reinforces the idea that you need to adapt the model to your needs. One approach is to start with one of these established models and then refine what’s necessary (but no more than that). The advantage of staying close to the “original” is that there’s a wealth of experience to learn from.

What is BANT?

BANT stands for:

Budget

Does the customer have a budget for your solution?
Tip: If the customer doesn’t currently have a budget – ask if they can reallocate funds, or when a new budget will be assigned.

Authority

Are you in contact with the decision-maker?
Tip: If you can’t reach the decision-maker directly – work with your contact to get an introduction.

Need

Does the customer have a need that your solution addresses?
Tip: Dig deeper to find a clear, business-critical need.

Timeline

When is the customer planning to make a decision or implement a solution?
Tip: Use the timeline to create a shared project with milestones.

Personally, I consider a prospect that meets 2 out of the 4 BANT criteria a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)—provided that “Need” is one of them. But of course, this can vary depending on the offering, segment, and vertical.

How BANT Helps Salespeople

BANT is a simple and straightforward tool that helps salespeople qualify leads early in the sales process. By quickly covering these four areas, the salesperson can prioritize leads that are most likely to convert.

BANT is not a checklist that must be followed in order, but rather a mindset. You can naturally weave the questions into the conversation and collect information gradually. The more details you gather under each point, the better you can qualify the deal and focus your time where it’s most valuable.

Strengths of BANT:

  • Easy to understand and implement

  • Quick to use in early sales conversations

  • Provides a clear qualification framework

Weaknesses of BANT:

  • Too simplistic for complex B2B deals

  • Focuses too much on the seller’s perspective, not the buyer’s journey

  • Risks missing soft factors that influence decision-making

What is MEDDIC?

MEDDIC stands for:

Metrics

What measurable results does the customer want to achieve?
Tip: Focus on numbers – time saved, cost reduced, revenue increased, etc. It strengthens the business case.

Economic Buyer

Who has the financial decision-making authority?
Tip: It’s better to reach them early than wait until the end of the process.

Decision Criteria

What factors influence the buyer’s decision?
Tip: Tailor your pitch to directly address the customer’s most important criteria.

Decision Process

What does the decision-making process look like?
Tip: Set up a joint action plan you can follow together.

Identify Pain

What problems or challenges are driving the purchase?
Tip: The pain/problem the customer wants to solve is often the engine behind the deal – the bigger it is, the more motivated they’ll be to buy.

Champion

Do you have an internal advocate who is championing your case?
Tip: Strengthen the relationship with your champion – they’re often critical to winning the deal.

How MEDDIC Helps Salespeople

MEDDIC is a more advanced qualification model that helps the salesperson deeply understand the customer’s buying journey. It is especially effective in complex B2B sales where multiple decision-makers and longer sales cycles are common.

Strengths of MEDDIC:

  • Thorough and buyer-centered

  • Great for large deals with complex decision structures

  • Helps build relationships and understand motivations

Weaknesses of MEDDIC:

  • Can feel cumbersome in simpler deals

  • Requires more training and experience

  • Takes longer to implement across a sales team

När ska man använda vilken modell?

Model Best Suited For When to Use It
BANT Simple to moderately complex sales processes. When you need to quickly qualify a large number of leads. Ideal in the early stages or for volume-based sales (e.g., SDR/inside sales).
MEDDIC Complex B2B deals with multiple stakeholders. When the deal is strategic, long-term, and requires a deeper understanding of the customer’s organization and motivations.

Summary

BANT and MEDDIC are powerful tools in a salesperson’s toolkit. BANT is fast, simple, and well-suited for early-stage or less complex sales cycles. MEDDIC demands more effort but delivers deeper insight—making it ideal for complex B2B sales involving multiple decision-makers.

The most successful salespeople are those who know when and how to apply the right model to the right deal.

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