🚀 Unfair Advantage: The AI Method for Crafting ROI Cases That Make Deals Inevitable

30 years in sales has taught me that people do not buy products, they buy outcomes. When they believe you provide them the best outcome, you win. That is the easy part.

Here is the more complex part - ROI or perception of value means very different things to each person you deal with, being both tangible and many times intangible. While the numbers, cost savings, and efficiency gains are critical, decision-makers are also considering risk, urgency, and very often, the most critical factor is the personal impact your product has on them. (Yes, even in high-end software sales that I am in.)

Interestingly, the Prospect Theory suggests that people fear losses more than they value gains. This means that highlighting potential risks of inaction—such as lost revenue, competitive disadvantage, or inefficiency—can be more persuasive than simply presenting benefits. 

Additionally, decision-makers tend to weigh short-term gains more heavily than long-term rewards, which is why an ROI case that emphasizes immediate or near-term returns is often more compelling. Today, we will learn how to use AI to create compelling ROI business cases that persuade prospects to take action and order your solution.

Stat of the Week:

"91% of buyers require clear ROI documentation before approving purchases over $50,000"

(Source: TrustRadius B2B Buying Disconnect)

This Week in AI Sales:

• The Psychology of Value Perception

• Uncovering the True Drivers of ROI

• Customizing ROI Stories for Different Decision-Makers

• Using Surprising ROI Elements to Reshape Prospect Thinking

Let’s take a deep dive into how to create compelling ROI business cases.

In closing business over the past three decades, I have learned that the Return on Investment is often the deciding factor in whether a deal moves forward or stalls. Yet many sales reps—65% of sales reps—never present formal ROI analysis during their sales process (ValueSelling Associates).

When asked why, reps cited:

• Lack of confidence with numbers (41%)

• No access to effective ROI tools (37%)

• Fear of being questioned on methodology (29%)

Yet those who do leverage ROI close deals 2.5x faster than their peers. If there is 1 message to take from this, it’s not only to start using ROI’s but also to work on improving them.

The Art of the ROI

Firstly, your product must benefit the enterprise and align with the company’s strategic objectives. Then, your product must provide a return on the cost of the investment. While cost saving is essential in the value equation, it may not always align with the deeper motivations that drive a prospect’s decision-making process. To honestly sell on ROI, sales reps must uncover and align with the hidden drivers influencing decision-makers' evaluation of investments. These drivers include:

1. Strategic Alignment – Does the investment support the company’s top priorities, such as market expansion, digital transformation, or operational efficiency?
   

2. Risk Reduction – Many decision-makers are more concerned with avoiding loss than achieving gains.
   

3. Time-to-Value (TTV) – The speed at which a company can realize benefits is a critical factor in ROI perception.
   

4. Operational Impact – Beyond financial returns, companies also evaluate how a solution affects employees, workflows, and customer satisfaction.
   

5. Competitive Advantage – Decision-makers don’t just think about ROI in isolation—they compare it to competitors.
   

Discovery - a structured discovery process to uncover the proper drivers of ROI is essential for sales reps looking to build compelling business cases. To do that, you should start with high-level strategic questions before narrowing down to specific financial and operational details.

Asking about company priorities, competitive pressures, and risk factors helps identify the broader business context. Once these insights are established, you can probe into metrics that matter most, such as cost reductions, efficiency improvements, or compliance benefits.

Additionally, exploring the cost of inaction—what happens if the company does nothing—creates a sense of urgency. This structured approach ensures that sellers present ROI not only as a generic financial calculation but also as a solution that solves real, high-stakes business problems.

How to ROI

If you’re selling a high-end product, your prospect isn’t just buying a tool—they’re buying outcomes. And to win the deal, you need to help them justify the purchase internally. That’s where a solid ROI or business case comes in.

The good news? You don’t need to be a finance wizard to build one.

Today, I’ll show you how to leverage AI to build a credible, customized ROI case—even if you’re starting with limited data.

1️⃣ Start with the Prospect’s Metrics—Use AI to Research

A winning ROI case ties directly to your buyer’s world: their revenue, costs, operations, and pain points.

✅ Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity.ai to gather public data on:

• Their company revenue & headcount

• Industry benchmarks

• Common cost drivers

• Published annual reports

• Analyst insights

Simple Market Research Prompt example:

“Act as a market research analyst. Provide me with key financial metrics, operating costs, and typical ROI benchmarks for [COMPANY NAME] or similar companies in [INDUSTRY]. Include average savings opportunities or productivity gains when adopting [PRODUCT TYPE].”

This gives you a baseline of numbers without burdening your buyer.

2️⃣ Build the ROI Formula—Let AI Draft It

Once you have data, AI can help you structure the ROI model.

✅ Input your findings and ask ChatGPT to write the formula:

“Create an ROI calculation for a company spending $X annually on [problem area]. Show potential savings if they reduce costs by Y% or increase output by Z% after implementing [product].”

AI can lay out the formula like:

ROI = (Annual Savings + Revenue Gains – Investment Cost) / Investment Cost

It will also help you map scenarios at different adoption rates or success assumptions.

3️⃣ Automate a Simple ROI Calculator

Want to go further? Use tools like ChatGPT + Excel or Google Sheets integration to auto-populate ROI models.

✅ Ask ChatGPT to generate the formulas and cell references for an Excel ROI calculator:

“Write Excel formulas for an ROI calculator that includes inputs for initial investment, monthly savings, additional revenue, and payback period.”

This way, you’re handing your buyer a tool they can tweak themselves—building trust and helping them sell internally.

4️⃣ Use AI to Draft the Business Case Narrative

Numbers alone don’t win deals. You need a story around the ROI.

✅ Prompt AI to write a business case tailored to the prospect’s role and priorities:

“Write a 1-page business case for a VP of Operations at [company] showing how investing $[amount] in [product] will save them $[amount] annually by reducing [pain point], with a payback period of X months.”

AI will generate a polished narrative including:

• Executive summary

• Key financial outcomes

• Risk mitigations

• Strategic alignment

You can fine-tune tone and length for board decks, CFO reviews, or internal champions.

🏆 Why This Works

Most reps shy away from building ROI models because it feels complex.

But with AI as your sidekick:
✅ You skip the blank page problem
✅ You shortcut research
✅ You deliver customized, credible ROI models faster than your competitors

And the best part?

You empower your buyer to sell for you internally—because you’re not just handing them a product, you’re giving them a compelling case to say YES.

Think Different - Finding Surprising ROI Elements to Reshape Prospect Thinking

Due to AI's great research skills, it can also be a powerful tool for uncovering surprising ROI elements that can reshape prospects' perceptions of a product or service's value. By analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, including industry reports, competitor performance, and historical sales outcomes, AI can identify unique ROI drivers that a salesperson may not have considered. 

For example, AI might uncover that a prospect's main concern isn't cost savings but rather how a solution can improve their company's agility, employee morale, or customer experience. By tapping into these less obvious factors, AI helps sales reps present their product in a new light, highlighting ROI elements that resonate more deeply with the prospect's true needs and motivations.

Additionally, AI can analyze past conversations, feedback, and objections to pinpoint the specific pain points that are top-of-mind for prospects, uncovering new angles to emphasize in the ROI discussion. 

By tracking which ROI benefits have been most persuasive in similar industries or organizations, AI can suggest how to reposition your solution to better align with a prospect's challenges and goals. For example, if a prospect is particularly focused on sustainability or regulatory compliance, AI can help the sales rep present ROI in terms of long-term environmental benefits or risk mitigation. This approach not only surprises prospects but also shifts their perception of ROI from a simple financial calculation to a broader, more impactful value proposition.

Here is a prompt that you can use to get this information from AI:

"I am researching X company and building a ROI and business case. Act as a market researcher and identify hidden or unconventional ROI elements that may not be immediately obvious in our industry but could significantly impact our prospects’ decision-making process. 

Look for factors such as improvements in employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, operational flexibility, risk mitigation, or sustainability that may offer long-term value beyond just cost savings or revenue generation. Analyze competitor success stories, market trends, and any emerging needs that could reshape how a prospect evaluates ROI. 

What are the key benefits we might have overlooked that could challenge conventional thinking and resonate with prospects in unique ways?"

Tool of the Week: HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpot’s AI-powered tools help sales reps gather detailed customer insights, track engagement, and evaluate how a solution can drive ROI. It includes automated email tracking, lead scoring, and performance metrics that inform the ROI business case.

The ability to create compelling ROI business cases is crucial for sales reps, as it directly impacts their success in persuading prospects to invest in a solution. Decision-makers often require clear, quantifiable justifications to approve purchases, and a strong ROI case addresses their financial and strategic concerns. 

However, crafting an effective business case can be complex and time-consuming, involving the analysis of various factors such as cost savings, efficiency gains, and long-term benefits. AI can significantly streamline this process by automating data collection, analyzing historical trends, and generating personalized ROI models. With AI tools, sales reps can quickly identify key metrics, predict potential outcomes, and tailor their presentations to resonate with each prospect’s unique needs. This not only speeds up the sales cycle but also enables sales reps to present data-driven, persuasive business cases that increase the likelihood of closing deals.

Your Action Items for This Week:

• Identify Key Decision-Makers: Use AI tools to map out the key stakeholders in your prospect's organization, identifying who influences the buying decision and what their specific needs and concerns are.
  

• Gather Relevant Data: Leverage AI-powered analytics tools to collect financial data, customer feedback, industry trends, and competitor insights that will help build a robust ROI business case for your prospect.
  

• Create a Tailored ROI Model: Develop a customized ROI model using AI that aligns with the prospect’s pain points, ensuring that both short-term and long-term value propositions are clearly outlined.
  

• Simulate Different Scenarios: Use AI to simulate various scenarios and outcomes, refining your ROI business case to ensure it anticipates possible objections and strengthens your position when presenting to decision-makers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope the information in this article helps you win more deals!

See you next week,

Steve