Project stalled or killed? Maybe you didn’t do your homework.
It’s fascinating to see how long some prospective clients will take to make a decision on a new storage and/or backup solution. Sometim
es, after all the work, they end up doing nothing at all. Granted, there are lots of things that can interfere with a purchase decision, but in many cases it’s because they simply haven’t done their homework ahead of time. This homework falls into two categories:
- Technical homework
- Business homework
IT folks are generally very technical and therefore the technical homework tends to get done pretty well. Nine times out of ten, the business homework (or lack thereof) is what stretches projects out to sometimes crazy lengths of time, or even kills projects altogether.
This blog post is a discussion of the business homework that needs to be done BEFORE contacting vendors. That’s right, put down the phone. Don’t call anybody just yet. You have work to do.
Know your BANT.
There is a simple acronym used by some vendors to gauge the likelihood that a prospective client is serious about making a purchase. It’s called BANT, an old term that goes way back to the mainframe days of the 60′s. It’s not a totally reliable predictor, but it’s pretty good. I see no reason why you, dear prospective client, shouldn’t be aware of BANT, because it can make your life easier too.
Very simply, BANT stands for:
- Budget. Do you have money to spend on this project? If it is not specifically allocated, can it be easily moved from one budget bucket to another? In general, a statement like “the CFO knows we have to do something about this” is not a solid financial foundation on which to start the search for a new solution of any kind. Clarify your funding ahead of time.
- Authority. Do you have the authority to make a final decision on this project or purchase? If not, who does? Is that person in the loop at the beginning? Can you clearly define the approval process, and do you know what it takes to move a purchase through it? Knowing this up front can make your life a LOT easier.
- Need. This is where, to a certain extent, your technical analysis comes in. But there is also a subjective element to it. Ask yourself this question: Do we just want this, or do we really need it? If you are not the final decision maker in the process, I can almost guarantee this question will be asked by the person who is. It’s best to have the answer at hand when he or she asks.
- Timeframe. Ask yourself this: what’s the drop-dead date to get this implemented, and what has to happen prior to that? Here’s a hint: “We’ll buy when we find something we like” is not a timeframe, it’s a recipe for wasting everyone’s time. Even if there is no specific drop-dead date, put a stake in the ground and work backward from there; this process will save you a lot of grief and increase the efficiency of your buying process.
To Share or Not to Share.
So there you have it. I try to be very open with prospective customers about defining BANT up front. Due to the dynamic nature of businesses these days, sometimes the answers aren’t crystal clear, and that’s OK as long as you are frank with your prospective vendor about it. Sometimes vendors (like me, for instance) can help you define your BANT, but I find many clients have been burned by vendors in the past and are therefore reluctant to be transparent about it. Whether you share it with prospective vendors or not, knowing your BANT up front can save you much time and perhaps even save your project.
If you want more information or would like to discuss your BANT with regard to a storage or backup/DR project, please give me a call at 888-255-6889 or CLICK HERE and send me a note.