The GPCTBA/C&I lead qualification framework is a standard approach to help sales professionals identify and focus on the three essential parts of the sales cycle: getting prequalified leads, qualifying those leads, and making a successful close.
This approach will give you confidence when planning your marketing campaigns because it’s easy to see how every campaign fits into your overall strategy for reaching new customers.
Now, let’s dig deeper into the topic!
What is the GPCTBA/C&I framework?
Considering the recent changes in buyer behavior, HubSpot created the GPCTBA / C&I Master Qualifications Framework.
GPCTBA / C&I is an acronym of Goals, Plans, Challenges, Timing, Budget, Authority, Consequences, and Implications.
Given the abundance of information available on the internet, the GPCTBA / C&I framework responds to the growing understanding of buyers in the digital age. The aim is to match your company’s goals and resources with potential customers.
The different stages of the GPCTBA / C&I Framework
Goals
The goals you set must be measurable goals that a potential customer wants or needs to achieve. However, there are a few incentives to buy your product: make more money, save money or avoid any risk of loss.
Organizations may not adequately define or measure these goals, or they may not indicate how their overall goals relate to daily metrics or milestones.
This is the first opportunity for salespeople to introduce themselves as consultants, helping prospects reorganize or set goals. Moreover, you can ask the following competence questions:
- Do you have business goals?
- Do you have specific sales targets for the next quarter/year?
Plans
Now that you have an idea of possible individual and organizational goals, you want to know what plans your prospect have to achieve those goals.
So, your job is to understand what they tried before and how it went. Also, you need to know why they think their strategy is working or failing, what changes they made to their plan, why, and if their current plans are failing, what backup plans they have.
Analyzing all their points, you can give a better plan to get where they want to be. You can also ask questions like:
- What are you going to do differently this year?
- Do you think the existing plan makes your business difficult to run?
Challenges
The most crucial moment in any sale is assessing whether you can help a potential customer face the challenges and what challenges they are currently facing.
Most companies don’t invest money just to achieve a goal. They prefer to continue what they do and resist change unless necessary.
This is usually because they have a problem that can’t be solved. So, the trick is to convince potential customers as they are trapped. The following questions can be used to identify challenges:
- What specific obstacles do you think are preventing you from achieving your goals?
- How do you address these challenges?
Timing
Everything comes down to time. You can ask the following to know more about execution:
- When should they reach their goal?
- When can you implement your plan?
- When should you get rid of this problem?
If the prospect does not have the bandwidth to meet these challenges or have other important goals in mind, their planning may be “in the future,” and you must decide whether to take time now or later.
Budget
Once you’ve decided that you can help a prospect achieve their goals, execute their strategy, and overcome their challenges on schedule, it is time to choose how and where the money is coming from.
Determining the budget of potential customers is very important. However, if they don’t want to invest in your solution, then there is nothing you can do to help them.
Now that you’ve outlined your goals and challenges, it’s time to remind them of the positives and make sure they’re okay with the potential return on investment.
Authority
Sales reps usually don’t get to talk to the economic decision-maker during the process. But, indeed, many sales reps try to keep in touch with executives. Realistically sales reps, on the other hand, are ready to turn influencers into champions.
However, in this stage, If you involve the decision-maker, you need to start from the beginning of the process. Don’t assume that the goals you discovered in previous conversations with their organization will remain their top priority.
You have to explore GPCTBA again with them to make sure you understand their viewpoint. Make sure you emphasize the return on investment of your products.
Stay connected with the influencer by leading the process with these questions:
- Are the identified goals relevant for the economic buyer?
- Where does this rank among their priorities?
- Do you have a suggestion for overcoming obstacles?
- What do you think the concern will be?
Consequences & Implications
Consequences & Implications are likely to result in the end in the GPCTBA/C&I framework. So, ask the prospect how these results affect them and their business. Ask what will happen to them in the future when your products and services enable them to achieve their goals.
You can rope in the below question in this stage:
- If you don’t achieve their goal, what are the adverse effects?
- What will positive results be achieved when you achieve their goal?
- Can your solution help a prospect reduce the risk of not meeting their goals while increasing their chances of success?
However, if your product can go a long way in preventing mistakes and achieving bigger goals, then you have a solid value proposition.
Wrapping up!
Sales aren’t about convincing people that they want something. It’s about helping them decide that what you offer will solve their problems.
The real secret to sales is finding the right fit for your product in the minds of your customers and helping them discover how it can add value to their lives.
We hope this blog post has helped you to understand the GPCTBA/C&I lead qualification framework better.
