Selection, Commit
Build ROI models and business cases
Primary Roles
AE, AM
Secondary Roles
CSM, Sales Manager
Hire With
Analytical orientation, commercial acumen, value orientation, business judgment
Train For
value-driver identification, assumption building, ROI modelling, stakeholder alignment, business-case communication
Certification Definition
A certified rep builds an ROI model and business case using customer inputs, assumptions, and agreed value drivers so the buyer can justify the decision commercially and internally.
Why It Matters
Even strong product fit can stall if the buyer cannot explain why change is worth the cost and effort. Sound ROI models and business cases help stakeholders quantify impact, test assumptions, survive finance scrutiny, and defend the decision with more confidence.
What Good Looks Like
- The rep identifies the value drivers that matter most to the buyer, such as revenue gain, cost reduction, risk reduction, or efficiency.
- The rep uses buyer-specific inputs and assumptions rather than generic benchmark claims alone.
- The rep makes assumptions explicit and tests them with the buyer instead of hiding them in the model.
- The rep keeps the model simple enough for stakeholders to understand, challenge, and reuse internally.
- The rep links the business case to the evaluation evidence, decision criteria, and proposed package.
- The rep adapts the business case for different stakeholders such as finance, executive sponsors, or operational owners.
- The rep documents the model and review clearly enough that another teammate or sponsor can explain it.
Red Flags
- The rep uses a template calculator without grounding it in buyer inputs.
- Assumptions are optimistic, hidden, or unsupported by the buyer's context.
- The rep cannot explain which value drivers matter most or why they were chosen.
- The model is overly complex, hard to follow, or impossible for stakeholders to validate.
- The business case is disconnected from the actual evaluation scope or commercial proposal.
- The rep presents ROI once but never checks whether stakeholders accept the logic.
Evaluation Scorecard
| Area | Standard |
|---|---|
| Value-driver selection | The rep identifies the business outcomes most relevant to the buyer's case for change. |
| Assumption quality | Inputs and assumptions are explicit, credible, and tested with the buyer. |
| Model construction | The ROI model is logically sound, proportionate, and easy for stakeholders to follow. |
| Stakeholder relevance | The rep tailors the business case to the concerns of the audience reviewing it. |
| Commercial linkage | The business case connects clearly to the proposed package, expected outcomes, and decision timing. |
| Documentation and review | The model and business case are clearly documented and have been reviewed with stakeholders. |
Real-World Scenarios
Mid-market business case
Buyer wants a straightforward payback story for an approver who will skim it
Builds a simple, buyer-grounded model with explicit assumptions and clear payback logic.
Enterprise finance review
Several stakeholders challenge the assumptions and ask where the numbers came from
Uses agreed inputs, shows sensitivity, and explains trade-offs without losing clarity.
Expansion motion
Existing customer sees operational value but needs budget to unlock the next phase
Quantifies the next use case with customer-specific evidence and links it to expansion outcomes.
Low-data environment
Buyer lacks exact baseline numbers but still needs a budget case this quarter
Builds a defensible model with bounded assumptions and identifies what still needs validation.
Assessment Approach
Review 2 live ROI models or business cases created by the rep, including the assumptions, stakeholder review, and how the model was used to support the decision.
Alternatives
- Review 1 live ROI model plus 1 realistic manager-led scenario when current deal volume does not support two live examples.
- Use scenario-only certification only during early ramp, then confirm the standard in the next live commercial cycle.
Verification Examples
- ROI/business case model + assumptions and stakeholder review
- Documented plan/artifact reviewed against rubric
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