Old BANT vs. BANT + ASKOLOGY: The Shift from Seller’s Market to Buyer’s Market

Back in the 1950s, IBM developed a framework called BANT, which represented Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline.

It gave sales teams a logical way to qualify opportunities and forecast results with precision.
In a Seller’s Market, when information was scarce and buyers depended on salespeople, that structure worked brilliantly.

But times have changed.

Welcome to the Buyer’s Market

Today’s buyers are informed, connected, and cautious.
They don’t want to be “qualified,” they want to be understood. Their buying decisions are not logical, they are emotional. Yet most sales teams are trying to focus upon features and benefits, leading to a disconnect between the sales message and the buying motives.

What used to be a clear-cut process has become a conversation built on trust and empathy. How are you tying empathy into your sales messaging? 

This is where the “traditional” BANT model starts to show its cracks. This is especially true when you get bogged down with the goal of BANT without considering the needs of the buyer.

I’ve worked with clients who were “doing everything right” by BANT standards. They were asking about budget, authority, need, and timing. Despite their efforts they were watching deals stall. They weren’t losing because of bad logic; they were losing because logic and effort alone aren’t enough anymore.

BANT Still Matters

✅ Budget – Can they afford it? Is there an established budget for this initiative?
✅ Authority – Are they empowered to decide? Are others involved in the decision process?
✅ Need – Does a real problem exist? Or do you truly understand the need they have?
✅ Timeline – When will they act? Is there a sense of urgency? 

These four questions provide essential data. They help us qualify efficiently and focus effort where it counts.

Unfortunately many sellers treat BANT as a checklist. The result is a conversation that feels mechanical. Buyers feel disconnected from the offer. When human connection disappears, buyers put up a wall or at best momentum dies. Often deals stall, with the seller not understanding where the opportunity broke down.

ASKOLOGY Speaks To The Emotional Needs

The goal of the Askology Method is to bring emotional intelligence into every sales conversation.

ASKOLOGY isn’t about replacing BANT; it’s super charging it.
It’s the art and science of asking better questions, the kind that uncover why someone wants change, not just what they want to buy. 

Askology Method:

• Builds trust through authentic curiosity and active listening.
• Reveals motivation, fear, and desire, the real drivers of decisions.
• Creates connection, showing buyers that they’re seen and valued.
• Inspires action, aligning your solution with their deeper purpose.

When BANT tells you what’s true, ASKOLOGY helps you understand why it matters. 

BANT + ASKOLOGY: The Complete Framework

Think of it like this:

• BANT gives you the facts you need to navigate.
  
• ASKOLOGY gives you the understanding of how to meet their emotional needs.
  
  

Together, they balance the head and the heart. Logic with empathy, qualification with curiosity leads to a deeply motivated buyer.

This is how you sell in today’s Buyer’s Market:

• Ask with intention.
• Listen with a desire to uncover needs.
• Serve before you sell.
  
  

Because buyers don’t just want solutions.
They want alignment to feel that you “get” them. Congratulations. You just moved from a sales person to a resource they trust.

The Takeaway

Sales success today comes from integrating two powerful forces:

BANT may get you the information. ASKOLOGY gets you the relationship.

And in a Buyer’s Market, relationships are what close deals and keep them coming.

Let’s Talk

How are you adapting your sales approach to fit today’s buyer-driven world?
I’d love to hear your perspective. Email [email protected].

#Sales #BANT #ASKOLOGY #BuyerDriven #SalesStrategy #EmotionalIntelligence #Trust #AskologyMethod

About the Author

Paul Kirch is the creator of the Askology Method, a human-centered sales framework that helps entrepreneurs and business leaders grow through trust, curiosity, and connection. With over 25 years of experience in business development, leadership, and coaching, Paul helps professionals sell with integrity, aligning purpose with performance.

Learn more at AskologyMethod.com