BANT: Timeline Conversation
More about roadblocks than timelines
The timeline conversation does not tell you whether the buyer will buy or not. It will tell you when the buyer will buy. Most sellers make the mistake of underestimating the importance of this aspect. They think that as long as the buyers sign the contract, who cares when they are going to buy?
The reality is that a lack of clarity on the timeline makes lots of projects fail. Most buyers significantly underestimate how much it will take to get the contract signed. In the meantime, other uncontrolled issues occur that distract the buyers from your conversation and eventually make it collapse.
You need to understand the level of urgency for the customers. They might love your products, but if this is something “nice to have” instead of “need to have now,” there is a high risk that the conversation remains stuck somewhere as new “need to have now” keep on popping up, stalling your product.
You also need to understand the planning cycle of your buyer company. Do they do quarterly planning or yearly planning? Even if the need is strong, a prospect may not act until the next budget window opens.
Mind the implementation trap. Customers might expect immediate results, although deployment of your solution might take time. It’s essential you discuss the difference between the buying timeline and the deployment timeline.
Then comes the most crucial issue. In the timeline conversation, you need to master the knowledge of the external competitive environment in which your buyer is operating. In the timeline, what can come from the external environment of the buyer company that could potentially disrupt the sales conversation? Are there new regulations, competitive threats, or industry changes that could create a roadblock? Or could there be internal triggers, such as a change in leadership or an M&A deal, that could stall the process?
The timeline conversation is not just about defining a time window. It’s about understanding what could happen in that window that potentially stalls the deal and breaks the timeline.
