The Problem: Why Business Cases Fail & How It Costs You Sales

 

B2B buyers expect business cases that prove value, justify investment, and eliminate risk—but too often, what they receive falls short.

 

The “As-Is” Reality: How Buyers See It

 

Your customers are looking for a clear path from their current state (“As-Is”) to their ideal future (“To-Be”). They have a business problem, they think your solution can help, and they need to justify the investment. But today’s business cases create more challenges than clarity:

• Too complex & overwhelming → 61% of buyers struggle with excessive material (Forrester).
• Focused on features instead of business impact → 77% find cases hard to justify (Gartner).
• Lack of financial justification → 95% require investment validation (Gartner).
• Not compelling enough to secure buy-in → 66% say sellers must deliver real value, or the case will fail (RAIN Group).

 

The result? 80% of buyers switch suppliers within two years due to unmet expectations (Accenture Interactive). Even if your product is a perfect fit, a weak business case can cost you the deal.

 

Why Most Business Cases Fail

 

A business case isn’t just a spreadsheet—it must be credible, conservative, and defendable at the board level. But today’s business cases fail for three key reasons:

 

1. Seller-Centric Assumptions Undermine Trust

• Most cases rely on biased, vendor-driven inputs rather than customer-defined metrics.
• Stakeholders see them as overly optimistic or exaggerated, leading to skepticism.
• Different roles define value differently—what matters to a CFO (profitability) is different from what matters to a CIO (risk reduction) or a CRO (competitive positioning).

 

2. Business Cases Are Too Complex to Defend

• The more stakeholders involved, the more complicated and inconsistent the financial model becomes.
• Most cases rely on Excel, resulting in fragile, error-prone models or oversimplified projections.
• If the case is too long or intricate, internal teams won’t present it to leadership.

 

3. Sellers Struggle to Define & Communicate Value

• Value is subjective—an opinion, a perception, an expectation rather than a clear metric.
• Without clear, financial definitions of value, business cases invite objections and skepticism.
• If competitors present a stronger, clearer, and more defensible case, they will win—even if your solution is better.

 

The High Stakes: Career Risk & Lost Deals

 

Stakeholders are likely not to present a business case unless they:

 

✅ Understand it – So they can confidently explain it.

✅ Trust it – So they feel secure defending it.

✅ See the value – So they can justify the investment.

 

If the case isn’t clear, credible, and conservative, buyers will hesitate. If your competitor’s business case is stronger, more defendable, and easier to present, they will win the deal—even if your product is superior. This is the problem BizKase is built to solve.