Lead Qualification for SaaS: Frameworks That Work

Your AE just finished a 60-minute demo.

The prospect seemed interested. Asked good questions. Said "looks great."

Two days later: "We're going with another solution."

Sound familiar?

This happens when demos are booked with unqualified prospects. And in SaaS, it happens all the time.

The stats are brutal:

60% of SaaS demos are with poor-fit prospects
50% of "hot leads" never convert
AEs waste 40% of time on bad opportunities
Only 20-30% of demos move to opportunities

Why? Because most SaaS companies have no real qualification process.

After running qualification for 30+ SaaS companies, we've identified the frameworks that actually work. Here's the complete playbook.

Why Traditional BANT Fails for SaaS

BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) was designed for enterprise sales in the 1960s.

It doesn't work for modern SaaS because:

Problem #1: Budget is Fluid

SaaS buyers can "find" budget for compelling solutions
Most don't have line items for new tools
They'll cut something else if ROI is clear
Asking "Do you have budget?" gets false positives

Problem #2: Authority is Distributed

SaaS decisions involve 4-6 people on average
"Decision-maker" doesn't mean solo decision
Influencers matter as much as signers
Everyone says they're the decision-maker (they're not)

Problem #3: Need is Self-Reported

Prospects exaggerate pain (to get you off the phone)
They don't understand what they actually need
"We need better reporting" might mean 10 different things
Self-reported need ≠ willingness to change

Problem #4: Timeline is Optimistic

"Looking to decide this quarter" usually means "someday"
No urgency = no deal
Timelines slip 3-6 months constantly
"Evaluating now" is often just window shopping

Result: BANT gives you false confidence that prospects are qualified.

Then they don't buy, and you're surprised.

BANTF: The SaaS-Optimized Framework

We've evolved BANT into BANTF specifically for SaaS:

B = Budget (Can they afford it?) A = Authority (Who's really involved?) N = Need (Do they have the pain?) T = Timeline (What's driving urgency?) F = Fit (Do they match our ICP?)

Let's break down each component.

B = Budget (But Ask It Differently)

❌ Bad Question:

"Do you have budget for this?"

90% say yes (to keep conversation going)
Doesn't tell you actual budget range
Doesn't reveal competing priorities

✅ Good Questions:

1. Current Spend: "What are you currently spending on [category]?"

Anchors the conversation in reality
Shows if they value the solution
Reveals if they're spending $0 (red flag)

2. Budget Range: "Our customers typically invest ₹X-Y per year. Does that align with your expectations?"

Sets expectations early
Qualifies out price-sensitive leads
Avoids sticker shock later

3. Budget Process: "Walk me through how budget decisions are made at [company]."

Reveals approval complexity
Identifies who controls purse strings
Shows if budget is annual or flexible

4. ROI Expectations: "What kind of ROI do you need to justify a purchase like this?"

Shows if they think in business terms
Reveals if they're sophisticated buyers
Helps you position value correctly

Red Flags:

🚩 "We don't have budget, but we can find it" (means: low priority) 🚩 "What's your cheapest plan?" (price shopping, not value seeking) 🚩 "Can we get a discount?" (before seeing the product) 🚩 "We need to see ROI before committing" (not serious)

Green Flags:

✅ Specific budget range mentioned ✅ Budget allocated for this fiscal year ✅ Currently spending on similar tools ✅ Asking about ROI calculation methodology

A = Authority (Map the Buying Committee)

❌ Bad Question:

"Are you the decision-maker?"

Everyone says yes
Ignores committee dynamics
Misses blockers and influencers

✅ Good Questions:

1. Buying Committee Mapping: "Who else would need to evaluate this before a decision is made?"

Lists all stakeholders
Reveals org chart
Identifies hidden influencers

2. Decision Process: "Walk me through your typical process for buying a tool like this."

Shows if they've bought SaaS before
Reveals approval steps
Estimates sales cycle length

3. Previous Purchases: "How did you evaluate and buy [similar tool]?"

Shows proven ability to buy
Reveals stakeholders and timeline
Identifies potential blockers

4. Technical Evaluation: "Do you have a technical team that needs to review this?"

IT/Security often block deals
Integration requirements
Compliance and privacy concerns

Typical SaaS Buying Committee:

Role	Involvement	What They Care About
End User	Champion/Influencer	Ease of use, features
Manager	Influencer/Approver	Team productivity, adoption
Director/VP	Decision-Maker	ROI, strategic alignment
IT/Security	Blocker/Approver	Security, integrations
Finance/Procurement	Approver	Pricing, contracts
Executive (C-level)	Final Approver	Business impact, risk

You need to identify ALL of these roles.

Red Flags:

🚩 "I can make this decision alone" (for deals >₹2L - unlikely) 🚩 Can't name other stakeholders 🚩 "Let me check with my boss" (they're not the decision-maker) 🚩 Won't introduce you to other stakeholders

Green Flags:

✅ Clear list of 3-5 stakeholders ✅ Willing to arrange multi-stakeholder demo ✅ Has bought similar tools before ✅ Describes clear approval process

N = Need (Qualify the Pain)

❌ Bad Question:

"What challenges are you facing?"

Generic answer
Doesn't reveal urgency
Can't differentiate real pain from nice-to-have

✅ Good Questions:

1. Current Solution: "How are you solving [problem] today?"

Shows if they're actively trying to solve it
Reveals workarounds (= pain is real)
Identifies incumbent competition

2. Impact Quantification: "What's this costing you in [time/money/resources]?"

Quantifies the pain
Creates business case
Shows if pain is big enough to act on

3. Attempts to Solve: "What have you tried to fix this?"

Shows if they're actively seeking solution
Reveals failed attempts (= urgency)
Indicates budget may exist

4. Consequence of Inaction: "What happens if you don't solve this in the next 90 days?"

Tests urgency
Reveals true priority
Identifies if it's a must-have or nice-to-have

The Need Pyramid (Qualify from Top Down):

          🔥 URGENT NEED
      (Must fix in 30-60 days)

       ⚠️ ACTIVE NEED
    (Currently seeking solution)

      📊 RECOGNIZED NEED
   (Aware of problem, not urgent)

     💭 LATENT NEED
  (Problem exists, not aware)

Only book demos for Urgent and Active needs.

Red Flags:

🚩 Can't quantify the problem 🚩 "Just exploring options" (no urgency) 🚩 No current workaround (not a real problem) 🚩 Been "looking" for 6+ months (not serious)

Green Flags:

✅ Specific pain with measurable impact ✅ Actively seeking solution right now ✅ Tried multiple solutions (failed) ✅ Clear consequences of inaction

T = Timeline (Find the Urgency)

❌ Bad Question:

"When are you looking to make a decision?"

Always get "soon" or "this quarter"
Optimistic timelines
No real urgency assessment

✅ Good Questions:

1. Driving Event: "What's driving this evaluation now (vs 6 months ago)?"

Reveals trigger event
Shows if urgency is real
Identifies business pressure

2. Deadline: "Is there a hard deadline we need to work backward from?"

Board meeting
Fiscal year end
Contract renewal
Product launch

3. Cost of Delay: "What happens if this takes another quarter to implement?"

Tests priority
Reveals competing initiatives
Shows if timeline is real

4. Evaluation Process: "How long does your evaluation typically take?"

Sets realistic expectations
Shows if they've bought before
Identifies potential delays

The Timeline Reality Check:

Prospect Says	Reality	What It Means
"Need it ASAP"	30-60 days	Strong urgency, real driver
"This quarter"	60-120 days	Moderate urgency
"Next quarter"	120+ days	Low urgency, likely to slip
"Soon"	180+ days or never	No real urgency
"Evaluating"	Unknown	Window shopping

Only prioritize "ASAP" and "This quarter" deals.

Red Flags:

🚩 No specific deadline or driver 🚩 "Just seeing what's out there" 🚩 Been evaluating for 6+ months 🚩 Timeline keeps slipping

Green Flags:

✅ Specific event driving urgency ✅ Hard deadline (board meeting, renewal, etc.) ✅ Cost of delay is quantified ✅ Evaluation has allocated time budget

F = Fit (Do They Match Your ICP?)

This is the most overlooked component—and the most important for SaaS.

❌ Bad Approach:

"Anyone who wants a demo can book one"

Wastes AE time on poor fits
Lowers conversion rates
Hurts team morale

✅ Good Approach:

Define clear ICP criteria:

Firmographic Fit:

Company size: [employee count]
Industry: [verticals you serve best]
Geography: [where you have PMF]
Funding stage: [can they afford you?]

Technographic Fit:

Current tech stack: [do they use tools you integrate with?]
Technical maturity: [can they implement?]
Data infrastructure: [do they have what you need?]

Use Case Fit:

Primary use case: [what you solve best]
Team structure: [how they're organized]
Volume/scale: [are they too big or too small?]

The Fit Scoring Model:

5 points: Perfect ICP match
4 points: Strong fit, minor gaps
3 points: Okay fit, but harder sale
2 points: Poor fit, low win probability
1 point: Not a fit, decline demo

Only book demos with 4-5 point fits.

Red Flags:

🚩 Outside your core ICP 🚩 Use case you don't serve well 🚩 No relevant integrations 🚩 Too small/large for your product

Green Flags:

✅ Perfect ICP match (size, industry, use case) ✅ Uses tech you integrate with ✅ Similar to your best customers ✅ Referred by existing customer

The BANTF Scoring System

Rate each component 0-10:

Budget: 0-10 points

10: Budget allocated, amount confirmed
5: Budget can be found, rough range
0: No budget, price shopping

Authority: 0-10 points

10: All stakeholders identified, access granted
5: Decision-maker identified, others TBD
0: Can't identify decision-maker

Need: 0-10 points

10: Urgent, quantified pain
5: Active problem, seeking solution
0: No clear pain or urgency

Timeline: 0-10 points

10: Hard deadline within 60 days
5: Target timeline this quarter
0: No specific timeline

Fit: 0-10 points

10: Perfect ICP match
5: Decent fit, some gaps
0: Outside ICP

Qualification Thresholds:

40-50 points: 🟢 Highly Qualified - Book demo ASAP 30-39 points: 🟡 Moderately Qualified - Book demo, watch closely 20-29 points: 🟠 Weak Qualification - Nurture, don't demo yet <20 points: 🔴 Not Qualified - Decline politely or offer resources

The Qualification Call Script

Here's the exact script we use:

Opening (30 seconds)

"Hi [Name],

Thanks for your interest in [Product].

Before we show you a demo, I want to make sure we're a good fit.

Can I ask you a few questions about your situation?

This will take 5-7 minutes and help us make the demo super relevant."

Question Sequence (5 minutes)

1. Situation (Need): "Tell me about [problem] at [Company]. How are you handling it today?"

2. Impact (Need): "What's that costing you in [time/money/efficiency]?"

3. Timeline (Urgency): "What's driving you to look at solutions now?"

4. Process (Authority): "Who else is involved in evaluating tools like this?"

5. Budget (Affordability): "Our customers typically invest ₹X-Y annually. Does that align with your expectations?"

6. Fit (Technographic): "Quick technical questions: Do you use [Integration A] and [Integration B]?"

Closing (1 minute)

If Qualified (35+ points):

"Great - sounds like we can definitely help.

Let me book you time with [AE Name] for a personalized demo.

They'll focus on [specific pain points discussed].

Does [Time A] or [Time B] work better?"

If Borderline (25-34 points):

"This is helpful context.

Based on what you shared, I want to connect you with [AE Name] but also send you [relevant resource] first.

This way the demo will be super targeted.

Does that work?"

If Not Qualified (<25 points):

"Thanks for sharing that.

Based on what you described, I want to be honest - we might not be the best fit right now because [reason].

Instead, let me send you [resource/alternative].

Would that be helpful?"

Advanced Qualification Tactics

Tactic #1: The "Why Now?" Pressure Test

Ask 3-5 times in different ways:

"What changed recently that made this a priority?"
"Why now vs 3 months from now?"
"What happens if this takes another quarter?"
"Is there a specific deadline or event?"

If they can't answer convincingly, they're not urgent.

Tactic #2: The "Competitive Alternative" Test

Ask: "What other solutions are you evaluating?"

Good Answers:

Names 2-3 specific competitors (shows active eval)
"We're looking at [A], [B], and you"
Mentions pros/cons of each

Bad Answers:

"Just you" (not serious, or lying)
"Not sure yet" (very early stage)
"We'll build it ourselves" (not a qualified buyer)

Tactic #3: The "Previous Purchase" Test

Ask: "How did you buy [similar tool] in the past?"

Reveals:

Whether they can actually buy (or just evaluate forever)
Typical timeline and approval process
Potential blockers to anticipate
How they make decisions

If they've never bought similar software, expect 2-3X longer cycle.

Tactic #4: The "Technical Blocker" Early Detection

Ask: "Do you have IT/Security requirements for new tools?"

Follow-ups:

"What's your security review process?"
"Do you need SOC 2 / ISO certifications?"
"Any data residency requirements?"
"Integration requirements?"

Surface technical blockers early, not during contracting.

Tactic #5: The "Champion Test"

Ask: "If we're a good fit, would you be comfortable introducing us to [other stakeholder]?"

Good Signs:

Immediate yes
Offers to set up meeting
Says "absolutely"

Bad Signs:

Hesitation or avoidance
"Let me check with them first"
"I need to think about it"

If they won't introduce you, they're not a real champion.

Implementing BANTF in Your Sales Process

Step 1: Build the Qualification Script

Create a document with:

Opening statement
10-15 qualification questions (BANTF)
Scoring rubric
Closing statements (qualified vs not)

Train SDRs to:

Ask naturally (not robotic)
Listen for clues between answers
Dig deeper on red flags
Score as they go

Step 2: Create Qualification Automation

Use tools to pre-qualify:

Clearbit/ZoomInfo: Firmographic data
6sense/Bombora: Intent signals
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Job changes, hiring
Qualified.com/Chili Piper: Pre-demo qualification forms

Auto-score leads before SDR calls.

Step 3: Train Your Team

Role-play scenarios:

Highly qualified prospect
Borderline prospect (need to dig deeper)
Unqualified prospect (practice polite decline)

Record and review:

Listen to 10 qualification calls
Identify missed questions
Coach on better probing

Weekly audits:

Review booked demos vs qualified criteria
Track conversion rates by SDR
Identify patterns in unqualified demos

Step 4: Create Feedback Loops

AE to SDR feedback: After every demo, AE rates:

Was prospect actually qualified? (Y/N)
Which BANTF criteria were missed?
What should SDR have asked?

Use data to refine:

Track demo-to-opp rate by SDR
Identify best-performing qualifiers
Update script based on learnings

The ROI of Better Qualification

Case Study: HR SaaS Company

Before BANTF:

40 demos/month
50% show-up rate = 20 actual demos
25% move to opportunity = 5 opps
5 opportunities/month

After BANTF:

28 demos/month (30% fewer, but higher quality)
80% show-up rate = 22 actual demos
50% move to opportunity = 11 opps
11 opportunities/month

Result:

2.2X more opportunities
Same SDR capacity
AEs happier (better leads)
Win rate increased 40% (better fit)

ROI:

Additional ₹2 crore pipeline/quarter
Zero additional cost
Implementation time: 2 weeks

Common Qualification Mistakes

Mistake #1: Qualifying After the Demo

Demo first, qualify later = wasted time
Prospect feels bait-and-switched
Low conversion rates

Fix: Always qualify before booking.

Mistake #2: Taking "Yes" at Face Value

"Do you have budget?" "Yes."
"Are you the decision-maker?" "Yes."
Everyone lies to salespeople

Fix: Ask open-ended questions that reveal truth.

Mistake #3: No Disqualification Process

Fear of saying no
"Every lead is a potential customer"
Book everyone, let AE sort it out

Fix: Saying no to bad fits is a superpower.

Mistake #4: Inconsistent Qualification

Different SDRs ask different questions
No scoring system
Some SDRs over-qualify, others under-qualify

Fix: Standardize the process and scoring.

Mistake #5: No Post-Demo Follow-Up

Qualify once, assume it sticks
Situations change, budget disappears
Stakeholders shift

Fix: Re-qualify at each stage (demo → opp → proposal).

The Bottom Line

Bad qualification costs you 40-60% of AE productivity.

Good qualification:

Increases demo-to-opp conversion 2-3X
Improves win rates 30-50%
Frees AE time for real opportunities
Shortens sales cycles
Increases team morale

BANTF isn't just a framework—it's a filter.

Filter out bad fits early. Double down on perfect fits.

What SalesUp Does

We don't just book meetings—we book qualified meetings.

Our qualification process:

BANTF scoring on every prospect
Pre-demo qualification calls
Only book 35+ point prospects
Real-time CRM updates with scores
Post-demo feedback loops

Results:

75-80% of our demos are qualified
40-50% move to opportunity
2-3X better than industry average

Because qualification is in our DNA.

Book a demo to see our qualification process in action.

Remember: A smaller pipeline of qualified prospects beats a huge pipeline of junk every time.