The ROI Imperative: Co-Creating a Bulletproof Business Case with Your Champion

Introduction: Why Great Deals Still Get Rejected

In B2B sales, it is very common to come across instances where the sale seems certain only for it to fall through at the last minute.

The buying party acknowledges that the challenge exists. There is alignment among stakeholders on the need for action. The offered solution is favorably regarded. Everything seems to point towards a win.

And yet, the deal falters or gets rejected.

Not due to a deficiency in the offering.

Because there is no viable financial case to support the deal.

In a business context, a decision is not made simply on grounds of interest and willingness but because it passes the test of Return on Investment (ROI). Without a tangible financial return to back up the decision, it does not go through.

Which is precisely why the best AE's don't simply sell but build the business case.

More specifically, build it collaboratively with the client.

What a “Bulletproof Business Case” Really Means

The bulletproof business case is not a PowerPoint presentation. It is a sound financial case that is resilient to internal scrutiny.

Every business case made in large enterprises is put through many different tests by various internal stakeholders. Finance departments analyze the underlying assumptions. Leadership evaluates risks. Procurement checks costs.

A truly bulletproof business case has to pass all these tests.

And there are three key things included in a good business case.

The first one is an easily explained ROI.

It has to be straightforward and directly related to business benefits. It should provide a straightforward answer to this question: what does the company gain and what does it lose financially from this investment?

The second element is a quantitative benefit.

Not just high-level qualitative statements about the value that the client gains, but actual financial metrics, such as how much it saves in money or how much it grows in revenue or lowers its risks.

The third element is the ability of the business case to withstand internal scrutiny.

It should reflect internal KPIs and business language and have realistic assumptions.

This is what ROI means in B2B.

Why You Must Co-Create the Business Case

The greatest error in enterprise sales is the independent construction of the business case by the sales professional.

This happens when the salesperson creates the ROI and delivers it to the buyer. It may seem like an efficient approach, but it hardly succeeds.

It is the buyer who will make the decision, and buyers tend to have more faith in their own figures.

Without any input from the buyer, the business case can be perceived as disconnected from the ground realities. Assumptions made may raise questions, and credibility could be lost.

It is necessary to co-create the business case.

By co-creating the business case, you get accurate inputs based on the client's environment. The buyer is engaged in the process, increasing confidence levels.

It also gives the champion a bigger say in the process.

The role of a champion is crucial in enterprise sales. It is the internal advocate whose responsibility is to argue in favor of your solution.

If they were part of the business case creation, they would feel more comfortable and confident defending the position.

The Structure of a Strong ROI Case

A good ROI business case follows a certain structure and is logical.

First of all, it has the cost of the current state.

This element refers to the price of the problem you are currently dealing with. This might be some inefficiencies, loss of income, wasted money or resources, etc. Defining the current state cost is extremely important since it justifies your claim and shows why the changes need to be made.

Another component that should not be missed is the future state value.

It implies what kind of benefit you will receive once you find a solution to the issue at hand. In addition, this should somehow be related to the problems found during the discovery process.

Thirdly, the investment needed should be mentioned.

In this case, the investment is the price of the solution, as well as any additional costs that are likely to appear. Here, transparency plays a major role since it creates trust.

Lastly, there is the payback period.

The payback period is the time when the investment to start paying back. Obviously, the shorter it is, the more appealing the offer is.

Collaboration between Deal Architects and Champions

The collaboration between Deal Architects and Champions takes the form of creating a business case in an interactive manner.

While the former does not dictate numbers, they act as a facilitator.

That means the first step is to ask the right questions while doing enterprise sales discovery. They understand the implications of the issue, the metrics involved, and the measure of performance.

From there, they use the information to build the business model with the Champion.

In this process, they validate their assumptions.

Rather than assuming some of the numbers, the Architect will have them confirmed by the buyer. In addition to ensuring accuracy, this also builds credibility.

In the same vein, they will ensure that the business model fits the internal metrics of the buyer.

Each company has its own standards and criteria for success. The architect will make their work relevant by considering them.

But above everything else, they focus on simplicity.

A good business model should be easy to understand. With this, the Champion can make the case without too much trouble.

This kind of collaboration makes ROI in Enterprise Sales so effective.

From Agreement to Approval

There is an important distinction between agreement and approval.

Whereas agreement indicates that the prospect understands the problem and can appreciate the value in the solution, Approval indicates that the buyer will commit resources toward moving forward.

The stage at which the agreement turns into approval is when many sales are left hanging.

A strong business case will cover this distance.

It gives the prospect the reasons for investing, and it allows the deal to advance by gaining the necessary resources.

Conclusion: It Is Not About the Product, But About the Financial Case

There are many things in enterprise sales that matter.

However, there is one thing that makes all the difference, it is the quality of the business case.

It is not about the quality of the solution itself; it is all about the quality of the business case.

Products are great when they sell themselves.

This is why great Account Executives have realized that selling deals requires creating a solid business case instead of giving product demonstrations.

To achieve this, they cooperate closely with their internal champions. They validate assumptions and adapt to organizational goals and criteria.

Thus, they become experts in calculating ROI in enterprise sales.

And this, in turn, changes everything.

They are not trying to convince anymore; they are supporting their clients in making a choice that has been proven to be correct.

In enterprise sales, decisions are never made out of interest.

ROI is what counts here.