MEDDPICC And BANT Are NOT Created Equal
Chris Taylor
Founder B2B Software GTM Consultancy | Operations Executive | Scaling Hyper-Growth | US Navy Veteran | Angel Investor
I'm asking routinely whether MEDDPICC or BANT are the better sales framework for evaluating selling opportunities. My answer isn't at all nuanced: They don't belong in the same jungle.
BANT is like a cute little kitten—adorable, easy to handle, and great for chasing yarn (or maybe MQLs). It’ll purr contentedly as long as there's a budget and a timeline to bat around. But when you step into the jungle of enterprise sales, that kitten's not going to scare off procurement, win over a champion, or navigate a 12-person buying committee. That’s when you need MEDDPICC—the tiger. It’s sharp, strategic, and built for the hunt. MEDDPICC doesn’t just nap in a sunny window; it stalks complexity, leaps over objections, and drags big hairy deals back to the forecast (or chases them out of the forecast) like the King of the Jungle that it is.
Let's cover the details a little less colorfully.
BANT - The Kitten
BANT is the acronym for budget, authority, needs, and timing and its benefits are simplicity and speed. It is easy to understand, easy to implement and will help quickly qualify leads early in the funnel. Sellers understand each of the letters intuitively and can pick it up and put it to use quickly, which is ideal for BDR/SDR roles and for transactional and higher velocity sales models. It also works well for scoring leads where detailed info isn't available.
BANT's play is in lower complexity and higher volume sales environments. It talks to potential, not how to win. It's a kitten in the selling jungle.
MEDDPICC - The Tiger
MEDDPICC is the acronym for metrics, economic buyer, decision criteria, decision process, paper or partner, identified pain, champion and competition. It is a much more thorough framework that is critical for assessing more aspects and "gotchas" of deals, which helps in understanding complex enterprise sales scenarios. Let's think about what BANT won't do for you:
I use "gotcha" because MEDDPICC is written in the blood of misunderstood, slipped and failed deals. This more thorough framework helps to raise red flags earlier in the selling cycle, allowing sellers to address gaps proactively and to reach closing successfully and in predictable time frames. It also makes forecasting the timing and size of deal much more accurate and makes the Forecast much more of a science than an art. Reliable revenue forecasts are critical to the success of the entire company.
Because MEDDPICC is a stronger vernacular, it gives a sales organization a way to team through a broader deal language that can be applied to each particular deal scenario. That language is key to enabling sellers but also to manager coaching in underway deals -- MEDDPICC helps managers and their people to develop strong action plans. Each of these elements is critical to selling and not found in the simplicity of BANT.
Lastly, selling is a strategic activity involving multiple stakeholders where aligning influencers and driving to close is critical. That complexity requires the stronger framework that MEDDPICC provides.
You've found yourself in the dark, scary jungle of big targets...which do you want protecting your success, the tiger or the kitten?
I help company owners realize the maximum value of their company by improving their revenue generation capability. I help owners enhance their sales management, methodologies, processes, teams, and messaging.
8hChris, well said. In my 40 years of B2B sales leadership, I’ve seen too many organizations try to drag enterprise deals across the finish line using tools designed for speed, not strategy. BANT has its place—but only if you understand its limitations. It’s built for quick filters, not complex pursuits. And as you so effectively outlined, BANT talks about potential, but MEDDPICCC shows you how to win. BANT is the filter a company should use for the appointment setter when passing the appointment to the seasoned salesperson. It isn't the tool that sales management should use to forecast the deal. What I appreciate most is your emphasis on coaching and common language. When a team embraces MEDDPICCC (BTW, it is best to have 3 Cs, not 2), managers stop asking, “What’s the close date?” and ask the right questions: Where’s the champion? What’s the paper process? Are we aligned with their metrics? This isn’t about picking a framework—it’s about choosing the one that gives your sales org the muscle it needs to compete and forecast. The question I’d toss out: ➡️ If your team missed quota last quarter, was it a selling issue, or a qualification issue that MEDDPICCC could’ve surfaced months earlier?
Design Thinker
11hAll of these tools are just mechanical process checklists. What matters is a method that creates a closed loop between buyer and seller. It is a progression of Receptivity > Rapport > Trust > Truth. It does not work for corporate muppets who describe their roles as 'sales enablement' and who have invariably had the charisma bypass operation with zero high-value selling experience.
Chief Revenue Officer ➠ Growth/Scale-Up Executive ➠ Team Building ➠ Strategic Operating Partner ➠ Rapid Revenue Growth ➠ Exceed Aggressive Financial Targets ➠ 5 Successful M&A Events
14hNailed it! BANT is table stakes - In complex enterprise sales, MEDDPICC is what separates the winners from losers. It helps eliminate risk and drives tight execution and forecast accuracy.
Chief Revenue Officer | Experienced Senior GTM Leader | Climatech Executive
15hGreat article Chris Taylor! Another key to unlocking the power of the MEDDPICC Tiger is to ensure ALL stakeholders in your org, not just sales, understand the framework. Like you say, a "common vernacular" helps Product, Finance, CS, Marketing and other functions understand where deals are getting stuck and how to get them unstuck collectively!
Human-centric Sales Enablement | Helping sales organizations increase revenue and gain marketshare | Founder | Advisory Board Member | Podcast Host
17hI love these conversations about sales methodologies! The truth is they are all different shades of blue. Think of it as if you were designing a living space, you could use Blue throughout your entire home to create a mode or set the tone, and the same goes for sales methodologies. So before we crown a "king of the jungle", let's determine where the jungle is located and which "species" is optimal.