A sales qualification framework is a shared checklist for deciding whether a prospect is worth more of your sales team's time. These guides cover MEDDIC, BANT, SPIN, CHAMP, GPCT, Sandler and Challenger, with questions to ask, a 0 to 3 scorecard for each, and templates you can copy.
Which sales qualification framework should I use? Use a light framework such as CHAMP or BANT on first calls, a questioning method such as SPIN or GPCT in discovery, and MEDDIC or MEDDPICC to inspect larger deals. Most B2B teams need two: one simple enough for an SDR on a cold call, and one deep enough for an account executive to forecast with.
What sales qualification is, and what it is not
Qualification is a decision, not a script.
Sales qualification is the work of deciding, with evidence, whether a prospect has a problem you can solve, the means and authority to buy, and a reason to act soon enough to matter. The output is a decision: advance, nurture or disqualify. A framework makes that decision consistent, so two SDRs looking at the same call notes reach the same answer.
It is not a list of questions to read out. Buyers can hear a checklist, and the fastest way to lose a cold call is to ask for budget in the first minute. Good SDRs carry the framework in their heads and fill it in from a normal conversation, then write the evidence down afterwards.
Qualification also happens in layers. Before anyone dials, the ideal customer profile decides which companies are worth calling. Lead qualification decides which leads an SDR calls first. The first call decides whether a meeting is worth booking, discovery decides whether there is a real opportunity, and deal qualification decides whether it will close this quarter. Different frameworks fit different layers.
MEDDIC vs BANT vs SPIN vs CHAMP vs GPCT
The seven frameworks and selling methods side by side, with 12 free templates below.
Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, CEB, book published 2011
Buyers who are happy with the status quo and complex sales
Account executive, with insight-led openers for SDRs
Opener to close
Needs a real insight; without one it reads as arrogance
Scroll sideways for more
Variants you will also hear: MEDDICC adds Competition to MEDDIC, MEDDPICC adds the Paper process as well, and ANUM reorders BANT as Authority, Need, Urgency and Money so the need comes before the budget.
Which framework should my team use?
Answer seven questions. The recommendation follows fixed rules, so the same answers always give the same result.
Guides and templates
In-depth guides for each framework, plus copyable templates for handovers, scorecards, discovery and your ideal customer profile.
Replace every highlighted placeholder with your own details.
Qualified meeting definition
One page that tells your SDRs, or your outsourced SDR team, which meetings count.
QUALIFIED MEETING DEFINITION: {{company name}}
Agreed by: {{sales leader}} and {{SDR lead or agency}} Date: {{date}}
1. Right company
Industry: {{industries in scope}}
Size: {{employee range}} employees, or {{revenue band}}
Location: {{states, regions or countries}}
Exclusions: {{existing customers, open opportunities, competitors, partners}}
2. Right person
Titles that count: {{titles}}
Titles that count only with a second attendee: {{titles}}
Minimum seniority: {{level}}
3. Confirmed need
The prospect has said, in their own words, that they have {{problem you solve}} or are reviewing {{category}}.
The SDR has written down what they said.
4. Timing signal
One of: {{contract end date, project start, hiring plan, budget cycle, trigger event}} within {{timeframe}}.
5. Attended
The meeting counts only when it happens with the right person. A no-show is rebooked, not counted.
Handover standard: every meeting arrives with the handover note completed within {{hours}} hours of booking.
Disputes: the account executive flags a meeting as unqualified within {{days}} business days, with the reason.
When to use it
Before the first dial of any campaign, and again whenever account executives start rejecting meetings. Sign it off with sales leadership and whoever books the meetings.
Why it works
Most arguments between SDRs and account executives come from a definition that was never written down. A short, specific definition makes every meeting easy to judge and gives the SDR something to qualify against on the call.
Variations
For inbound leads, replace the timing signal with the action the lead took and how recently they took it.
For enterprise accounts, require a second stakeholder on the invite or a named next step with one.
For partner or channel recruitment, define the right company by customer base and capability rather than size.
Common mistakes
Counting meetings booked rather than meetings held.
Listing titles but not saying what happens when an assistant or a junior attends instead.
Writing a definition so strict that no meeting from a cold call could ever pass it.
SDR to account executive handover note
The note an SDR sends with every booked meeting so the AE never starts cold.
MEETING HANDOVER: {{prospect company}}
Meeting: {{date and time}}, {{length}} minutes, {{video or phone}}
Booked by: {{SDR name}} Account executive: {{AE name}}
Who is attending
{{name}}, {{title}}. Reports to {{manager, if known}}.
Others invited or mentioned: {{names and titles}}
Why they agreed to meet (their words)
"{{the reason they gave, as close to verbatim as possible}}"
What they told us
Current situation: {{tools, team, process}}
Problem or goal: {{what is not working or what they want to achieve}}
Impact they mentioned: {{cost, time, risk, revenue}}
Timing: {{deadline, contract end, project start, budget cycle}}
Decision: {{who else is involved, how they buy}}
Budget: {{anything said, or "not discussed"}}
Qualification score: {{framework}} {{score}} of {{max}}. Gaps: {{elements scored below 2}}
What the prospect expects from the meeting
{{what the SDR promised: a conversation, a comparison, a specific question answered}}
Watch outs
{{objections raised, competitor mentioned, sensitivity, anything not to say}}
When to use it
Every time a meeting is booked, within a few hours of the call, in the CRM and in the calendar invite.
Why it works
The first five minutes of a discovery call are often wasted repeating what the SDR already learned. A structured note lets the account executive open with the prospect's own words, which is the fastest way to earn trust.
Variations
For a CHAMP qualified meeting, replace the 'What they told us' block with the four CHAMP headings.
For an outsourced SDR team, add the campaign name and the list source so the client can trace the meeting.
For a short version in the calendar invite, keep only 'Why they agreed to meet' and 'What the prospect expects'.
Common mistakes
Paraphrasing the prospect's reason into sales language. Keep their words.
Promising a demo when the prospect agreed to a conversation. The AE then opens with the wrong agenda.
Leaving out the watch outs. A competitor mention or a bad past experience changes how the AE opens.
BANT first-call notes
Fast notes for a first qualification call, with need asked before budget.
BANT NOTES: {{prospect company}}, {{contact name and title}} Date: {{date}}
Need (ask first)
What they said: {{problem in their words}}
Evidence: {{example, number or consequence they gave}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Timeline
What is driving timing: {{event, deadline or contract end}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Authority
Their role in the decision: {{decides, recommends, influences, researching}}
Others involved: {{names and titles}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Budget
Budget status: {{set, being set, not yet, unknown}}
What they spend on this today: {{current spend or "not discussed"}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Total: {{total}} of 12 Next step: {{meeting, nurture or disqualify}}
When to use it
On inbound follow-up calls and simple, short-cycle sales where one person usually decides.
Why it works
Running the letters in the order N, T, A, B keeps the call about the buyer's problem first, and writing down the evidence for each letter stops wishful scoring.
Variations
For ANUM, keep the same headings and replace Timeline with Urgency: what happens if nothing changes this quarter.
For very high volume inbound, use a yes, partly or no for each letter instead of a 0 to 3 score.
Common mistakes
Treating 'no budget' as a disqualifier when the buyer has a clear, costly problem.
Scoring authority from the job title alone.
Asking the four questions in a row like a form. Weave them into the conversation.
CHAMP cold call qualification card
A one-screen card an SDR fills in during an outbound call.
CHAMP CARD: {{prospect company}}, {{contact name and title}}
Challenge
Main challenge in their words: "{{quote}}"
How long it has been a problem: {{time}}
What they have tried: {{attempts}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Authority
Who decides on this: {{name or role}}
Who else would need to be in the room: {{names or roles}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Money
How this is funded today: {{budget line, project, not funded}}
Cost of the problem, if mentioned: {{figure or estimate}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Prioritisation
Where this sits against other priorities: {{top three, this year, someday}}
Why now: {{trigger}}
Score 0 to 3: {{score}}
Total: {{total}} of 12 Meeting booked: {{yes or no}} With: {{attendees}}
When to use it
On outbound calls where the prospect did not ask to hear from you and budget is rarely set.
Why it works
Leading with the challenge earns the right to ask about authority and money. Prioritisation is the letter most teams skip, and it is the one that predicts whether a meeting will turn into an opportunity.
Variations
For partner recruitment, replace Money with 'Capacity': whether they have the people to take on a new product.
For an enterprise account, add a line under Authority for a likely champion.
Common mistakes
Accepting 'it is a priority' without asking what it is ranked against.
Asking about money on a first cold call before the challenge is clear.
Booking a meeting with someone who cannot name who decides.
MEDDPICC deal review
The page an account executive brings to a pipeline review or forecast call.
MEDDPICC DEAL REVIEW: {{account}} Opportunity: {{name}} Stage: {{stage}}
Close date: {{date}} Value: {{amount}} Owner: {{AE}}
Metrics: the measurable outcome the buyer expects
{{metric, baseline and target, in the buyer's numbers}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Economic buyer: the person who can release the money
{{name, title}}. Met: {{yes or no}}. What they care about: {{priorities}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Decision criteria: how they will compare options
{{technical, commercial and relationship criteria}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Decision process: the steps and people from now to a decision
{{steps, owners and dates}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Paper process: how a contract gets signed
{{legal review, procurement, security review, signatories, typical time}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Identify pain: the problem and its cost
{{pain, who feels it, what it costs, what happens if nothing changes}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Champion: the person selling for you inside the account
{{name, title}}. Tested by: {{what they have done for you}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Competition: every alternative, including doing nothing
{{vendors, in-house build, status quo}}. Our position: {{position}} Score: {{0 to 3}}
Total: {{total}} of 24
Biggest gap: {{element}} Action to close it: {{action, owner, date}}
When to use it
Weekly for every deal in commit or best case, and before any deal moves to proposal.
Why it works
It replaces 'how is the deal going' with eight specific questions. Gaps become visible early, while there is still time to fix them, instead of in the last week of the quarter.
Variations
For MEDDIC, drop the paper process and competition blocks and score out of 18.
For MEDDICC, keep competition and drop the paper process, scoring out of 21.
For a mutual action plan, turn the decision and paper process blocks into a dated list you share with the champion.
Common mistakes
Naming a friendly contact as the champion without testing them.
Writing 'save time' as the metric. A metric has a number and a baseline.
Treating competition as other vendors only. Doing nothing is often the toughest competitor.
SPIN discovery call plan
A plan for a discovery call written before you dial, not a script.
SPIN CALL PLAN: {{prospect company}}, {{contact and title}} Call: {{date}}
Objective for this call: {{the advance you want, for example a meeting with the finance lead}}
Situation (keep to the few facts you could not research)
1. {{question}}
2. {{question}}
Problems you suspect, and how you will ask about them
Suspected problem: {{problem}} Question: {{problem question}}
Suspected problem: {{problem}} Question: {{problem question}}
Implications to explore if the problem is confirmed
{{problem}} could affect {{cost, time, risk, revenue, people}}.
Questions: {{implication question}} / {{implication question}}
Need-payoff questions to let them state the value
{{need-payoff question}}
{{need-payoff question}}
Advance to ask for at the end: {{specific next step with a date}}
Fallback advance: {{smaller next step}}
When to use it
Before any discovery call in a larger or longer sale, especially when the buyer has not yet admitted a problem.
Why it works
Rackham's research found that successful sellers in large sales asked more implication and need-payoff questions. Planning them in advance is how you make sure you actually ask them.
Variations
For an SDR call, keep one problem question, one implication question and the advance. Skip the rest.
For a follow-up call, open with a summary of the implications they gave last time and check they still hold.
Common mistakes
Spending ten minutes on situation questions you could have answered from LinkedIn and their website.
Jumping from problem straight to your product before exploring implications.
Ending the call with 'I will send some information' instead of an advance.
GPCTBA/C&I discovery notes
Discovery notes ordered the way HubSpot's framework runs: goals first, budget later.
GPCTBA/C&I NOTES: {{prospect company}}, {{contact and title}} Date: {{date}}
Goals: what they need to achieve, with numbers
{{goal, target and deadline}}
Plans: how they intend to reach it
{{current plan, owner, what has started}}
Challenges: what stands in the way
{{challenges in their words}}
Timeline: when it has to happen
{{deadline, start date, milestones}}
Budget: what is available to solve it
{{budget set, being set, or not; how it is approved}}
Authority: who decides and who influences
{{names and roles}}
Negative consequences: what happens if they miss the goal
{{impact on them, their team and the business}}
Positive implications: what happens if they hit it
{{impact on them, their team and the business}}
Agreed next step: {{step, attendees, date}}
When to use it
On consultative mid-market discovery calls where the buyer's goals matter more than their current problem.
Why it works
Starting with goals and plans makes the call about where the buyer wants to go. By the time you ask about budget and authority, you have shown you understand the goal, so the questions feel earned.
Variations
For a first SDR call, use GPCT only and leave budget, authority and C&I for the account executive.
For a renewal or expansion, start with the goals they set last year and how they tracked.
Common mistakes
Accepting a goal with no number in it.
Asking about budget before the plan and challenges are clear.
Skipping the C&I questions, which are where urgency comes from.
Discovery call agenda and opening
The first two minutes of a discovery call, written as an agenda the buyer agrees to.
OPENING (say it, do not send it)
"Thanks for the time, {{first name}}. We have {{length}} minutes. Does that still work?
When we spoke, you mentioned {{reason they agreed to meet}}. I would like to spend most of today understanding that: how things work now, what is getting in the way and what you want to change. I will share how we have helped {{similar companies}} where it is relevant.
At the end, one of three things will happen. It will be clear there is no fit and we will say so, or we will agree a next step, or you will need to check something internally first. Is that fair? Is there anything you want to make sure we cover?"
AGENDA
1. Their priorities and what prompted the meeting ({{minutes}} minutes)
2. Current situation and what is not working ({{minutes}} minutes)
3. Impact, timing and who else is involved ({{minutes}} minutes)
4. Relevant examples from {{your company}} ({{minutes}} minutes)
5. Agree the next step ({{minutes}} minutes)
When to use it
At the start of every first meeting, whether the account executive or the SDR runs it.
Why it works
Agreeing time, purpose and possible outcomes at the start lets both sides say no without awkwardness. It is the idea behind Sandler's up-front contract, and it stops calls from drifting into an unplanned demo.
Variations
For a buyer who asked for a demo, agree to show one thing that matters to them after ten minutes of questions.
For a group call, ask each attendee what they want from the meeting and write it down where everyone can see it.
Common mistakes
Skipping the 'no fit is fine' line. It is what makes the buyer honest.
Reading the agenda like terms and conditions. Say it in your own words.
Running over time without asking. Check the clock before the last section.
Sandler style up-front contract
A short agreement on time, agenda and outcome, set at the start of any call.
UP-FRONT CONTRACT
Time: "We set aside {{length}} minutes. Is that still good for you?"
Their agenda: "What would you like to get out of today?"
Your agenda: "I would like to ask about {{topic}} and understand {{what you need to learn}}."
Outcome: "By the end, would you be comfortable telling me if this is not a fit? And if it does look like a fit, we can talk about {{the next step}}. If we get to the end and you need more time, I will ask what is behind that, so we both know where we stand. Fair?"
When to use it
At the start of discovery calls, follow-ups and any call where the last one ended with 'let me think about it'.
Why it works
Sandler teaches that most stalls come from calls that never agreed what a decision looks like. Getting permission for a clear yes or no up front makes 'I will think it over' much less likely.
Variations
On a follow-up call, open with: 'Last time we agreed you would {{action}}. Where did that land?'
On a cold call, shrink it to time and permission: 'You were not expecting my call. Can I take thirty seconds to tell you why I rang, and you can tell me if it is worth continuing?'
Common mistakes
Using it as a trick. Buyers notice. Use it to agree how you will both decide.
Accepting 'I will think about it' at the end without asking what they need to think about.
Challenger insight outline
A structure for the commercial insight that opens a Challenger conversation.
INSIGHT OUTLINE: {{buyer role}} at {{type of company}}
1. Warmer: show you understand their world
"Most {{role}}s we speak to are dealing with {{common challenge}}."
2. Reframe: the idea they have not considered
"What we see is that the real cost is not {{what they think}}, it is {{what is actually happening}}."
3. Evidence: why it is true
{{a published figure, a pattern across clients, or a worked example, with its source}}
4. Emotional impact: what it means for them
"So when {{situation}} happens, {{consequence for the buyer or their team}}."
5. A new way: the approach that fixes it, before your product
{{the different way of working}}
6. Your solution: how you deliver that new way
{{how your product or service does it}}
Question to hand control to the buyer: "{{question that tests whether this applies to them}}"
When to use it
When buyers are comfortable with the status quo and pain questions get polite non-answers.
Why it works
The Challenger Sale argues that buyers value a seller who teaches them something new about their business. A structure that moves from a familiar situation to an unexpected cost gives the buyer a reason to rethink what they do now.
Variations
For a cold call opener, use steps 1 and 2 in two sentences, then ask the question.
For a finance buyer, make step 3 a cost calculation; for an operations buyer, make it a process failure.
Common mistakes
Leading with your product in step 2. The reframe must stand on its own.
Using a statistic you cannot source. Use your own data or none.
Lecturing. The insight earns a conversation; it is not a presentation.
Ideal customer profile template
A one-page ICP your SDRs, marketing and account executives can all work from.
IDEAL CUSTOMER PROFILE: {{your company}} Version: {{date}} Owner: {{name}}
Firmographics
Industries: {{industries}}
Employee range: {{range}}
Revenue band: {{band, if it matters}}
Locations: {{states, regions, countries}}
Ownership and structure: {{private, listed, PE backed, government, franchise}}
Technographics
Tools they use that signal fit: {{tools}}
Tools that signal no fit: {{tools}}
Situation and pain
Problems we solve for them: {{problems}}
What it costs them: {{cost in time, money or risk}}
Trigger events (reasons to call now)
{{funding, hiring, new leader, expansion, contract end, regulation, merger}}
Buying committee
Economic buyer: {{title}}
Champion: {{title}}
Users: {{titles}}
Blockers: {{titles}}
Disqualifiers
{{too small, wrong industry, competitor contract, no in-house team}}
Evidence
Based on {{number}} closed won and {{number}} closed lost deals from {{period}}.
Best three customers that fit this profile: {{customer types, not names, if shared outside the team}}
When to use it
Before building a target list, launching a campaign or briefing an outsourced SDR team. Review it every quarter against closed won and closed lost deals.
Why it works
An ICP built from your best customers, with clear exclusions, makes list building faster and qualification fairer. SDRs stop arguing about whether an account fits, because the page says so.
Variations
Run two ICPs side by side if you sell to two different segments. Do not average them into one.
For an account-based campaign, add a tier column: tier 1 accounts get research and multi-threading, tier 3 get a standard sequence.
Common mistakes
Writing the ICP from who you want to sell to rather than who has bought and stayed.
Leaving out disqualifiers, which are what save an SDR's time.
Confusing the ICP (the company) with buyer personas (the people inside it).
Lead scoring model
A two-axis fit and engagement model you can build in any CRM.
LEAD SCORING MODEL: {{company}} Reviewed: {{date}}
FIT SCORE (who they are), maximum {{100}}
Industry in ICP: +{{20}}
Employee range in ICP: +{{20}}
Title in target buyer list: +{{25}}
Seniority manager or above: +{{10}}
Location in served market: +{{15}}
Uses a tool that signals fit: +{{10}}
Personal email domain: {{-20}}
Competitor or student: {{-50}}
ENGAGEMENT SCORE (what they did), capped at {{100}}
Requested a demo or a call: +{{50}}
Visited pricing page: +{{20}}
Attended a webinar or event: +{{15}}
Downloaded a guide: +{{10}}
Opened or clicked three or more emails in 30 days: +{{10}}
Replied to outbound: +{{25}}
No activity for 60 days: {{-20}}
ROUTING
Fit {{60}}+ and engagement {{50}}+: MQL. Call within {{time}}.
Fit {{60}}+ and engagement under {{50}}: nurture, plus outbound if the account is a target.
Fit under {{60}}: marketing nurture only. No SDR call.
Demo request from any fit {{40}}+: call within {{time}} regardless of engagement.
SQL: an MQL becomes an SQL when the SDR confirms {{framework}} at {{score}} or above on a call.
When to use it
When inbound volume is high enough that SDRs cannot call every lead within an hour, or when marketing and sales disagree about what an MQL is.
Why it works
Separating fit from engagement stops a student who downloads five guides from outranking a buyer at a target account who visited the pricing page once. Negative points keep the queue clean.
Variations
For outbound only teams, drop engagement scoring and use fit plus trigger events to rank the call list.
For product-led growth, add product usage points such as active users invited or a key feature used.
Common mistakes
Scoring only engagement, so the busiest content readers rise to the top.
Never reviewing the weights against which scored leads actually closed.
Setting the MQL threshold so low that SDRs ignore the queue.
How the frameworks fit together across the funnel
Each layer of qualification asks a different question, so each suits a different framework.
Where each framework fits from target list to closed deal
The handover between layers is where most pipeline leaks. An SDR who books a meeting against CHAMP should hand over notes the account executive can read straight into MEDDIC: the challenge becomes the pain, the person with authority becomes the first guess at the economic buyer, and the priority becomes the first timing signal. The handover note template below is built for that.
Qualification when an outsourced SDR team books your meetings
Write the definition down before the first dial.
When an agency books meetings for your account executives, the qualification framework becomes part of the contract in practice, even if it is not in the paperwork. If the agency is paid on meetings and your team judges them on opportunities, the two sides will disagree unless the definition of a qualified meeting is written, specific and signed off by both.
The qualified meeting definition template covers the five things that matter: right company, right person, confirmed need, a timing signal and attendance. Ask the agency to score every meeting against the framework you use and to send the handover note with the invite, not afterwards.
Our own SDRs work in-house in Sydney and qualify on the phone before a meeting is booked. Phone-sourced meetings in our data become sales opportunities 50% of the time, against 32% for cold email, and onshore calling books 1.3 meetings per 100 dials, against 0.3 for offshore teams. The detail is in our Australian cold calling statistics and our guide to how an outbound agency defines a qualified meeting.
Scripts, emails and calculators
Qualification works best alongside a good script and realistic activity targets.
A shared checklist of the things a prospect must have, such as a real problem, the authority to buy and a reason to act, before your team invests more time. It turns qualification from a gut feel into a decision the whole team can make the same way.
Which sales qualification framework is best?
None is best for every stage. CHAMP and BANT suit fast first calls, SPIN and GPCTBA/C&I suit discovery, and MEDDIC or MEDDPICC suits complex deals and forecasting. Sandler and Challenger are selling methods that change how you run the conversation. The picker on this page recommends a pair based on your sales motion.
What is the difference between MEDDIC and BANT?
BANT checks four basics, budget, authority, need and timeline, and is quick enough for a first call. MEDDIC goes much deeper into how a deal will be bought: the measurable outcome, the economic buyer, the decision criteria and process, the pain and an internal champion. BANT qualifies a lead; MEDDIC qualifies a deal.
Is BANT still used?
Yes, mostly as a quick first-pass filter for inbound leads and simple sales. Its weakness is asking about budget before the buyer has seen value, which is why many outbound teams use CHAMP or ANUM, which put the need or challenge first.
Should SDRs use MEDDIC?
Not in full. An SDR cannot confirm the decision process or the paper process on a cold call. What an SDR can do is capture early MEDDIC clues, such as the pain in the prospect's words, who else is involved and who signs, and pass them to the account executive in the handover note.
How do I score a lead against a framework?
Score each element from 0 to 3: 0 unknown, 1 assumed, 2 confirmed by the buyer, 3 confirmed with specifics and a second source. Add the scores and compare the total with the maximum. The scorecards on each framework page do this for you in the browser and give a verdict.
Can I use more than one framework?
Yes, and most mature teams do. A common pairing is CHAMP for SDR first calls and MEDDPICC for account executives, with SPIN style questions in discovery. What matters is that the SDR's notes map onto the account executive's framework, so nothing is asked twice.
Are these templates free to use?
Yes. Copy them, download them as a text file or print them. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent.
Can Nousu qualify and book meetings for us?
Yes. Our SDRs work in-house in Sydney, qualify on the phone against a definition we agree with you before launch, and send a handover note with every meeting. We call into Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Pricing is starting at $7,000 a month.
