GPCTBA/C&I Qualification Framework from HubSpot

Complex B2B sales environments require modern qualification frameworks. Modern buyers are more informed, deals involve multiple stakeholders, and the sales process has evolved beyond simple qualification checkboxes. Hence, the old trusted BANT falls short, and qualification frameworks like GPCTBA/C&I, a framework developed by HubSpot focusing on understanding the buyer's context and goals first, step up.

What is GPCTBA/C&I?

HubSpot created GPCTBA/C&I in direct response to the limitations of the well-served BANT qualification framework. BANT was considered too seller-centric and lacked the finesse required for the consultative nature of SaaS sales. HubSpot recognised that today's buying process had become more complex, with multiple stakeholders involved and buyers being much more informed before engaging with sales.

While difficult to pronounce, GPCTBA/C&I was designed to help sales teams emphasise understanding the buyer's context and goals before discussing practical matters like budget and authority. This approach aligned better with HubSpot's inbound methodology, which focuses on helping and educating prospects rather than just qualifying them.

GPCTBA/C&I is a modern sales qualification framework that stands for:

• G - Goals: What does the prospect aim to achieve? Studying their key objectives helps align your solution with their vision.
• P - Plans: Current strategies to reach those goals. Learning about existing approaches reveals gaps where your solution can add value.
• C - Challenges: Obstacles preventing goal achievement. Identifying pain points helps position your solution as the answer to their problems.
• T - Timeline: When they need to see results. Understanding urgency helps prioritise opportunities and set realistic expectations.
• B - Budget: Financial resources available. Determining their investment capacity ensures alignment with your solution's pricing.
• A - Authority: Decision-making power and process. Mapping the approval chain helps navigate complex buying decisions effectively.
• C&I - Consequences and Implications: The impact of success or failure. Discussing what's at stake builds urgency and highlights your solution's value.

Key Strengths of GPCTBA/C&I

GPCTBA/C&I framework offers several distinct advantages over traditional qualification methods:

• Modern B2B Focus: Explicitly developed to address complex modern B2B buying cycles where multiple stakeholders are involved and buyers are more informed.
• Buyer-Centric Approach: Emphasises understanding the buyer's context and goals before diving into practical qualifiers, helping position salespeople as trusted advisors rather than just vendors.
• Strategic Alignment: Exploring Consequences & Implications helps connect solutions to tangible business outcomes, making it particularly effective for high-value technology and software sales.
• Trust Building: The framework's consultative nature helps build stronger relationships with prospects while ensuring both parties invest their time wisely.
• Overlaps with Discovery: Goes beyond qualification and into discovery by examining business objectives (Goals, Plans) and potential roadblocks (Challenges), providing a fuller picture of the prospect's situation.

When to Use GPCTBA/C&I

The GPCTBA/C&I framework is most effective in complex B2B sales scenarios, mainly when dealing with high-value solutions or services that require significant investment and stakeholder buy-in. It's especially valuable when your solution addresses strategic business challenges rather than tactical needs.

• For enterprise-level sales where multiple decision-makers are involved and the sales cycle typically extends over numerous months.
• When selling solutions that require significant organisational change or implementation effort, understanding the buyer's situation is crucial.
• In situations where the product or service investment is substantial enough to warrant a detailed discovery process and a thorough qualification.

GPCTBA/C&I has some key limitations. It's a complex and time-consuming process that requires extensive sales team training. If not correctly used, the framework may lead to inconsistent qualification results between sales reps. The framework can feel overwhelming for prospects and sellers, so in some cases, implementing it can be an overkill.

The difference to MEDDIC is that GPCTBA/C&I takes a more consultative, relationship-building approach.

The key difference between GPCTBA/C&I and its better-known counterpart, MEDDIC, is that GPCTBA/C&I takes a more consultative, relationship-building approach, while MEDDIC focuses more on economic drivers.

Breaking Down GPCTBA/C&I Components

Let's break down each component of the GPCTBA/C&I framework to see how it enhances enterprise sales processes.

G - Goals

The framework starts with understanding what the prospect wants to achieve. These are typically quantifiable targets, such as revenue growth, new customer acquisition, or cost savings. By starting with goals, salespeople can frame the conversation around the prospect's desired outcomes rather than product features.

How to use: Ask open-ended questions about their primary business objectives. Help them quantify these goals (e.g., "increase sales by 30%") and connect them to broader company initiatives. This will position you as a strategic advisor rather than just a vendor.

Example questions to ask:

• What is the top priority you want to achieve this year for your team or company?
• Do you have specific targets or KPIs for this quarter (e.g. revenue or number of new logos) that you aim to hit?”
• Are there any quantifiable objectives (like increasing leads by X% or cutting costs by Y%) that you need to achieve?

P - Plans

This component explores the prospect's current strategy for reaching their goals. Understanding their plans helps salespeople identify gaps where their solution could add value and determine if the prospect's approach is realistic.

How to use: Ask about their current approach and previous attempts to solve the problem. Listen for gaps in their strategy where your tech solution could provide value. This will help you identify whether they genuinely need your product.

Example questions to ask:

• What is your current strategy to achieve those goals? What are you doing differently now compared to last year?
• Have you tried this approach before? What worked? Why do you think this plan will succeed now?
• Do you have any backup plan if things don’t go as expected? How open are you to alternative ideas if challenges arise?

C - Challenges

Aim to uncover the obstacles preventing prospects from executing their plans or achieving their goals. These challenges could be internal issues like lack of expertise or external factors like market changes. Identifying challenges is crucial as it reveals where your solution can most help.

How to use: Dig deep into specific obstacles they face. In tech sales, focus on technical limitations, resource constraints, or scalability issues. These pain points often become your strongest selling points.

Example questions to ask:

• What are the biggest obstacles or pain points preventing you from executing your plan or hitting your goals?
• You mentioned trying to solve this before, so why do you think you’re still facing this challenge? What kept a solution from working in the past?
• What problems do you anticipate if nothing changes in the next quarter or year? Are there any obstacles you’re worried about as you pursue these goals?

T - Timeline

Timeline measures urgency: When does the prospect need to achieve their goals or implement a solution? This helps qualify leads based on immediacy and ensures alignment between the prospect's needs and your sales process.

How to use: Connect their timeline to specific business events or deadlines. Consider your implementation timeline and be upfront if there's a mismatch. This helps prioritise deals and set realistic expectations.

Example questions to ask:

• How urgent is this initiative? Is there a date you need to see results or have a solution in place?
• Are there any deadlines or events (e.g. end of quarter, contract ending) that set a hard timeline for this goal?
• If your timeline starts to slip, what would you do? Would you adjust the goals or speed up resources?

B - Budget

Instead of only asking about available funds, the budget component explores whether prospects have allocated resources and whether they perceive enough value to invest. This discussion is more effective after establishing clear goals and challenges.

How to use: Discuss ROI and current spending on similar solutions instead of asking about the budget. In tech sales, explore their entire technology budget and any competing priorities.

Example questions to ask:

• Have you set aside a budget for this project? Can you share what range you’re considering?
• What are you currently spending to address this issue, or what is it costing you to leave it unsolved?
• Do you have financial approval to proceed if we could help you achieve your goals and present a strong ROI?

A - Authority

In modern B2B sales, multiple stakeholders are often involved in decisions. The authority component helps identify who needs to approve purchases and maps out the decision-making process within the prospect's organisation.

How to use: Map out the technical and business decision-makers involved. Understand their IT procurement process and security requirements. This helps you engage the right stakeholders early.

Example questions to ask:

• Who else would weigh in on a decision for this purchase? Is there a buying committee or other departments that need to approve?
• What is your internal process for deciding on solutions like this? For example, do you need a VP or finance team sign-off?
• Are the goals we discussed a priority for your higher-ups as well? How does this initiative fit among other projects before the ultimate decision is made?

C & I - Negative Consequences and Positive Implications

The final component examines the negative consequences of the prospect's failure to achieve their goals and the positive implications of success. This adds emotional weight to the qualification process by connecting the project to tangible outcomes that matter to the prospect.

How to use: Calculate potential revenue impact or cost savings. Focus on business outcomes (for example, boost on won new logos) and personal wins for key stakeholders (such as achieving departmental goals).

Example questions to ask:

• What are the risks if this problem isn’t solved or the goal isn’t reached? For instance, could missed targets affect revenue significantly or lead to other setbacks?
• And personally, what would it mean for you if this initiative fails or gets delayed? Or is there a personal win, such as a bonus for you if it succeeds?
• If you do achieve these goals, what’s next? What more significant opportunities will the company have?

Implement GPCTBA/C&I to Replicate HubSpot’s Success

The GPCTBA/C&I framework stands out for its comprehensive and customer-centric approach to sales qualification and light discovery. Instead of focusing solely on whether a prospect can buy, it starts by understanding their needs and goals. This thorough approach helps sales reps gain a complete view of the opportunity while positioning themselves as trusted advisors rather than just vendors.

GPCTBA/C&I helps sales teams effectively qualify and prioritise leads, focusing their efforts on the highest-probability deals.

Most importantly, the structured framework helps sales teams effectively qualify and prioritise leads, focusing their efforts on the highest-probability deals. By systematically exploring goals, challenges, and other key factors, sales reps can better understand their prospects' situations and determine genuine opportunities. This approach leads to better-qualified pipelines and often results in more valuable won opportunities.