Business Cases Are Key to Closing Deals. Here Are 9 Tips for Making Great Ones.
Putting together a business case that moves the needle can be harder than it looks.
Why is that?
According to Chris Orlob, CEO and co-founder of pclub.io and QuotaSignal, it’s because you’re articulating your business cases all wrong. Here’s what Orlob had to say in a recent LinkedIn post:
“Your buyers struggle to sell your solution internally. They put career capital on the line by advocating for you. Sending them case studies isn't enough. They need a bullet-proof business case. They need to feel confident asking their boss for budget. If you can't give that to them? They won't go to bat for you (even if they want to). Because if they did? They'd embarrass themselves.”
Rather than treating a business case as another opportunity to drive value, sellers often treat sharing case studies as though they were a box you had to check on the way to close a deal.
Orlob’s point: your buyers aren’t interested in checking boxes. They want to understand how you’re going to meet their needs and exceed their expectations.
And you can show that in a business case. Here’s what one of LinkedIn’s fastest rising sales voices has to say about doing business cases right:
Business Case Tip #1: Don’t think you can create one business case to rule them all.
When we use the term “business case,” most of us have a pretty good idea of what we’re talking about. It usually focuses on how your company used its products or solutions to solve specific problems for your buyer.
And, if you’re lucky enough to come upon a new buyer facing the same problem the buyer in your case faced, then everything should be smooth sailing.
But no matter how similar the problems (or even the buyers) may be, no two situations are exactly alike – meaning sending a single set of results usually won’t work. Here’s what Orlob has to say about sending a single case:
“Some customers say they need a business case. When they do, most sellers say this: ‘No problem, I'll send you our case studies.’ That's not a business case. It only supports one. If this is all you do, you'll lose.”
Instead of thinking of a “business case” as a single document, use a range of material that makes sure you’re talking to the buyer about the entire “case,” rather than just having them read a single example.
Business Case Tip #2: Research is great, but you need more than industry research to make your case.
If you’ve ever been asked to write a business case (or had to author your own), you know that one of the first things you’re tasked with is finding industry research. But, while highlighting what’s going on in your industry is important, too often business cases treat a widespread problem as a compelling argument for your specific solution.
Things don’t work like that.
According to Orlob:
“Salespeople refer to things like Gartner reports, analyst studies, and external research. They use that as a business case. At best, research can spark a conversation. But it's not a business case. Execs will roll their eyes.”
Industry data and research can help your case, but never assume the existence of rain is all you need to sell your particular umbrella. People have all sorts of choices.
You’re going to have to do a lot better than sharing commonly known data if you want to close a deal.
Business Case Tip #3: Clearly defining the problem is the most important aspect of the business case.
Putting together a business case begins as an exercise in one thing – illustrating the problem your solution solves – and instead often ends up as something else entirely: namely, a routine marketing brochure.
This happens when sellers want to rush through the problem to get to the solution. When a business case turns into a (very) thinly veiled sales pitch, you’ve ceased to deliver any value at all.
Here’s Orlob’s take:
“Every great business case starts by ignoring the solution. They focus on defining the problem. One that's relevant to an exec's priorities. Most sellers don't do this. If you get this right, the rest is easy.”
Business Case Tip #4: Address root causes in it.
Imagine putting together a case for a new drug that treats a rare type of cancer.
Broadly speaking, the problem is that patients get this illness. Broadly speaking, the treatment you’re selling is the solution.
Easy enough, right?
Wrong.
A business case selling a treatment for cancer needs to address the root causes of the illness, and how the medication will address those specific causes. Discussing the problem/solution without digging deeply into root causes will result in a case that lacks relevance to your buyer.
That principle is true across the board, whether you are selling cancer treatments or enterprise software platforms.
Here’s how Orlob sees this issue:
“You already know to focus on the problem. But if you don't address the root causes? Then you have no bridge to your solution. Execs might agree with the problem. But they won't agree your solution is the fix. Unless you get lucky.”
A case exists in part to make connections between the existing problem and your solution that your buyer won’t see on their own. It is impossible to do that without addressing root causes.
Business Case Tip #5: You shouldn’t be the author of the business cases. Instead, have it be your champions.
There is a great scene from an old episode of The Simpsons where Millhouse Van Houten, “geeky” friend of Bart, auditions for a school performance. After being rejected, Millhouse leaves the stage, but not before saying, “But my mom says I’m cool.”
Millhouse’s mom’s opinion does little to sway the talent judge.
The problem? When it comes to her son, Millhouse’s mom lacks credibility.
And with your business case, so do you – which is why Orlob suggests having someone else write it:
“The author of the business case should be your champion. Or better yet, champions. Not you. You're the editor. Not the author. You don't have enough credibility to be the author. Your champion does (or should).”
Even if you try your best, follow every tip in the book, and author a fantastic case, there is still the problem of credibility. Of course you’re going to say you’re the best, even when it isn’t true – just like Millhouse’s mom will always say he’s cool.
You can overcome this challenge – and differentiate yourself from nearly every other business case out there – by having your champion tell their story.
You can and should edit the piece so it fits your brand, but the voice and the story should belong to your champion.
Business Case Tip #6: Put multiple perspectives within your business case to add credibility.
It isn’t just that Millhouse’s mom is mistaken about how cool her son is. It’s that even if she were right, absent other perspectives, her credibility wouldn't be enough on its own.
If Millhouse really wanted to make an argument that he’s cool enough to be in the production, he would need more than one mom to think he’s cool. He would need all the moms to think he's cool.
A case that lacks multiple perspectives just won’t have the same level of credibility as one that includes several voices.
From Orlob’s post:
“Talk to several champions. Not just one. Get several perspectives on the problem. And then bake those into one story. Most business cases share the perspective of one person. When you do that, you get pushback. Because one person can't see the whole picture. But if you have 3-4 cooks in the kitchen? Now it tells a holistic story. Execs need that.”
A case with just one perspective comes off very different than one that includes multiple perspectives. By including different voices, you’re showing that your solution had a wide, positive impact.
Which is exactly what your buyer is looking for.
Business Case Tip #7: When discussing ROI, think of “best case-worst case.”
A buyer’s return-on-investment (ROI) is usually discussed something like this: (Buyer) chose our solution, which caused (X) to increase by (Y) percent, resulting in an ROI of (Z) percent.
That’s great – if your buyer faces the same scenario that will lead to (X) being increased by (Y).
But what if your buyer wants to invest more? What if they want to invest less? What if the scenario they face is substantially different?
Differing scenarios are why Orlob recommends being flexible:
“Execs think in ranges and scenarios:
- Worst case.
- Base case.
- Best case.
If your business case only has one projection?
A) It will be wrong.
B) You'll lose credibility.
That's not how execs think. They think in scenarios. Write accordingly.”
A range of case scenarios will answer more questions your buyer has – including questions they may have never asked before passing on your deal.
Give your buyer the chance to see your solution through multiple potential ROI lenses. It will lead to more closed deals.
Business Case Tip #8: Avoid making it all seem so easy.
The typical business case treats a solution almost as though complex problems can be solved in just one sentence. It’s like an episode of a sitcom from the 1980s: Problem, solution, resolution, brought to you in 22 minutes.
But complex problems are never solved in 22 minutes.
And in the corporate world, complex problems are never solved by applying a two-sentence solution and then sitting back watching all your charts trend the right way. Orlob calls this out toward the end of his post:
“If you make value realization seem too easy, you lose credibility. Execs know better. They know it takes work and resources to make projects come to life. So call that out. Outline the resources they'll need to deliver on this: - headcount - project manager - funding - etc. It might make you nervous. But that's the point.”
If it were as easy as snapping your fingers or pulling the right solution off the shelf, the problem would already be solved. And, even if you make a sale based on the premise that the whole thing will be easy, what you could actually do is set your implementation team up for failure.
Anything worth doing is never easy.
Execs know that, and so do you. You’ll win more deals than you’ll lose by being real and telling your buyer the truth about the challenges ahead.
Business Case Tip #9: Make it short.
According to Orlob, 1-2 pages are more than enough for a business case.
Just like nine tips are more than enough for a blog post.
Summary and Takeaways
Sales thought leader and expert Chris Orlob has been sharing some fantastic content on LinkedIn, including expert advice on how to create business cases that close deals.
Remember:
- Don’t take the singular term “business case” too literally. Instead, use a range of collateral that truly illustrates what you’ve achieved for past customers in a way that directly relates to the challenges your buyer faces.
- Industry data supplements your case, but on its own it won’t make your argument for you.
- There is a difference between a business case and a brochure. Business cases lead with the problem. Brochures lead with the solution.
- Talk specifically about root causes and how your solution addresses them.
- Use your champion’s voice and not your own. They have real credibility with your buyers in a way that you won’t.
- Include more than one champion in your case, if possible.
- Be expansive when you talk about ROI and include a range of scenarios.
- Don’t make it sound too easy. You’ll lose credibility with your buyer and put your implementation team in a tough place.
- Be brief.
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Topics: Modern selling
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