A finance leader wants to know what it costs, what it returns, what could go wrong and who approves it. They do not need a longer list of features. They need your case reduced to numbers and assumptions they can check.
This guide shows what to prepare, how to structure a ten-minute business-case conversation, which questions to ask and which wording to avoid. All figures and names in examples are invented for illustration and must not be quoted as real results.
What a CFO usually checks
Every company differs, but finance leaders often look at four things:
- Total cost. Price, setup, internal time, renewal terms and what is not included.
- Return and timing. What improves, by how much (by their own measure) and when.
- Risk. What happens if the project is late, the benefit is smaller than expected, or the supplier fails.
- Fit with budget and approval. Which budget, which approval process, and who else must agree.
You will not always get a full answer. Treat the call as learning how they think, not as a pitch.
Prepare before the call
- Gather their numbers, not yours. Use the buyer's own cost figures where you can. If they have not shared them, ask. Do not invent a "typical" figure to look authoritative.
- Write your case as a simple formula. For example: "hours per week saved x people x loaded hourly cost, minus the subscription cost". Keep each assumption separate and visible.
- Know your pricing fully. Terms, extras and what happens on renewal. A CFO will ask.
- Prepare the downside. What is the cost of doing nothing, and what is the cost if the benefit is half of what you expected?
A ten-minute structure
1. Open with their goal (1 minute)
"Thank you for making time, Ms Hale. I'd like to make sure I understand what you need to decide this. Could I start with two questions about how you evaluate a project like this?"
2. Ask how they evaluate (3 minutes)
- "How do you normally assess a purchase of this kind?"
- "What would you need to see for it to be approved?"
- "Is there a payback period or a threshold the project has to meet?"
- "Which budget would this come from, and when is it decided?"
Write the answers down and use the same words in your reply.
3. Build the case together (4 minutes)
Put the formula in front of them and ask them to correct it.
"Here is how I would think about it, and please correct me. If the process takes six hours a week today for four people, and your loaded hourly cost is whatever your finance team uses, the saving is that number times 24. Against it we put the subscription and your team's setup time. Does that match how you would calculate it?"
Notice the seller asks the CFO to supply the number. The aim is a shared model, not a polished claim.
4. Name the risks and agree the next step (2 minutes)
"The main risks I see are adoption and timing. If the benefit were half of what we estimated, would the project still make sense for you? And what is the next step on your side?"
End with a named step, an owner and a date.
Wording to use
- "What would you need to see?"
- "Please correct my assumptions."
- "If this were half as good as we estimate, would it still pay for itself?"
- "Here is what is included, and here is what is not."
Wording to avoid
- Unsupported claims. "Our customers save 40%." Never state a figure you cannot document. A CFO may ask for the source.
- "It pays for itself." Say what assumptions would make that true.
- Pressure. "Prices go up next month" invites suspicion.
- Jargon. "Synergies" and "ROI uplift" say less than a simple formula.
If the CFO says...
| The CFO says | A reasonable reply |
|---|---|
| "It's too expensive." | "Compared with what? Let me check I understand which cost you are weighing." See price objection drills. |
| "We have no budget this year." | "Understood. When is next year's budget decided, and what would a business case need to include?" See no budget on the phone. |
| "Send me a summary." | "Of course. Which numbers matter most, so I put those first?" |
| "I need to speak to the team." | "Good. Shall I join that conversation, or send them something short?" |
An example of showing assumptions
A good estimate shows its inputs. The DIRI AI ROI calculator lets you enter your own team size, practice hours and hourly cost, and shows a range with the assumptions stated. It is an estimate of training time, not a promise of results, and it is a useful model of how to present any figure to a finance leader: inputs visible, range rather than a single number.
Practise it
- Write down your formula in a single sentence and list its three assumptions.
- Say the ten-minute structure aloud, with a colleague playing the CFO who asks: "How do I know the benefit is real?"
- Run the scenario making the investment case to the CFO by voice in DIRI AI. The goal is to connect the offer to a specific operational or business outcome.
- After the run, check: did you ask for their numbers before giving yours?
FAQ
Should I send a business case document before the call?
Only if asked. A short, one-page summary of the assumptions can help, but a long document sent before you understand their process often goes unread.
What if I cannot prove the return?
Say so. Explain what you can show, such as time spent today, and propose a small pilot to measure the result on their own data. See defending value before procurement for a related drill.
How technical should I be with a CFO?
Be as simple as accuracy allows. Use plain words, show each assumption and let them ask for detail.
Related: Discovery questions that open up customers, How to ask for the next step, Sales call checklist.