Section 9 · Buyer Psychology & Sales Method
9.5BANT-lite for smaller deals
Built in the POC- No.
- 9.5
- DMA's reference
- Decision Book p.21
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Autonomy
- L4 · Autonomous
- DMA's decision
- Yes
What DMA asked for · Decision Book p.21
Use a shorter qualification for smaller and local prospects.
Why it matters to DMA: Don't over-qualify small prospects: capture them and keep them moving.
In our words, from DMA's Product Decision Book v3, page 21.
How we do it
- Qualification in the chat is short by design: two or three natural questions, never a form. The note-taker fills the BANT-lite fields as they come up: budget (stated, none, unknown), who decides, timing and the problem.
- Code turns those fields into the inbound score and tier; missing fields count as neutral, and a chat with too little evidence can't be Tier A.
- For an executive who wants it short, the method switches to BANT-lite outright: the fewest questions and two-sentence replies.
The flow
It plays on its own while it's on screen; hover or use the controls to pause or step through.
A few natural questions
What the business does, what isn't working, what they've tried.
- AI
- Stored data
- Rule in code
- Nutshell
Where the data goes
The same six stages on every page. Nothing reaches Nutshell except through the write gate.
- 1Website chat
Source
What the visitor writes.
- 2Sync
Copies Nutshell changes into the bridge database
Not involved.
- 3Bridge database
A copy of the CRM data, plus what the AI works out
The running notes with the BANT-lite fields.
- 4AI
Claude models, only through DMA's own gateway
Fills the fields; code scores them.
- 5Write gate
The only way back into Nutshell: checked, approved when needed, sent once
Writes the lead, its score and the summary if the visitor books or leaves an email.
- 6Nutshell
The system of record
The rep sees the summary and the score.
The tables behind it
Drawn from the POC's database catalogue: structure only, no data.
PK primary keyFK reference the database enforces (solid line)ID reference kept by id (dashed line)
| Table | What it holds | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| conv.conversations | One row per chat: its stage and the AI version that ran it. | 22 |
| conv.messages | Every line of the chat, encrypted. | 21 |
| ctrl.decision_log | Every reply and check, with the model, tokens and cost. | 28 |
How the tables connect (8)
| Column | Points to | Kept by |
|---|---|---|
| conv.conversations.agent_version_id | agent.agent_versions | The application (by id) |
| conv.messages.conversation_id | conv.conversations | The database (foreign key) |
| conv.messages.participant_id | conv.participants | The application (by id) |
| conv.messages.decision_id | ctrl.decision_log | The application (by id) |
| conv.messages.agent_version_id | agent.agent_versions | The application (by id) |
| ctrl.decision_log.agent_version_id | agent.agent_versions | The application (by id) |
| ctrl.decision_log.run_id | agent.runs | The application (by id) |
| ctrl.decision_log.conversation_id | conv.conversations | The application (by id) |
Worked example
Synthetic demo data: every name, business and number is made up.
The BANT-lite fields after a short synthetic chat.
Four fields, three questions
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Budget | Unknown (counted as neutral) |
| Authority | Decision maker |
| Need | Stated: fewer calls this year |
| Timing | Soon |
In the running POC
The visitor describes the problem; the AI reflects it back and asks one question.
- 1The visitor's own words: no form fields.
- 2One reflection, one question.
Website chat · BrightSmile Dental demo site. Captured from the running POC on September 25, 2026; synthetic data.
See it live
Opens the exact screen in the running POC, in a new tab.
| Open | Where | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| BrightSmile Dental demo site | Demo prospect website | A short chat is enough to be scored and booked. |
Status
Built in the POC. This capability runs in the POC today, on synthetic data, end to end.