Feature Guide — How to build a defendable business case and presentation deck for any target account
How it works in 30 seconds
1
Click ROI Engine on any ABM card. The AI estimates input values from your ICP and the account's intel brief - no manual data entry required to get started.
2
Select a scenario (Conservative, Realistic, or Aggressive) and a stakeholder (pulled from your ICP buying roles). Edit any input field you disagree with.
3
The right panel shows your Business Case narrative. Switch to Deck to generate a 7-slide presentation, or to One-pager or Email for other output formats.
4
Download the deck as PPTX (branded with your colors and logo), print as PDF, or copy the text version to send as a follow-up email.
Section 1
When the ROI Engine Matters
A business case is not useful for every sale. It becomes critical when multiple people need to approve the decision, budgets need formal justification, and the deal is large enough to attract scrutiny. Use the ROI Engine when at least three of these apply to a target account.
Deal value above €10K per year. Below this threshold, buyers typically approve on intuition. Above it, they need to defend the decision internally.
More than one decision maker. When a CFO, a technical evaluator, and a champion all need to agree, each needs a version of the case framed for their priorities.
Sales cycle longer than 30-60 days. Longer cycles mean more internal conversations. Your ROI case needs to survive those conversations without you in the room.
Budget approval required. Any purchase that goes through procurement, finance review, or a budget committee benefits from a pre-built business case.
The buyer perceives risk. Implementation risk, switching costs, or board visibility on the decision all increase the need for financial justification.
The real job of a business case
It gives your champion the ammunition to sell internally
The person you talk to most is rarely the final decision maker. Your champion needs to present this to their CFO, their CEO, or their board. The ROI Engine gives them a document they can use in that conversation - one that speaks in the language of money, risk, and return rather than features and benefits.
Section 2
The Input Model
The ROI Engine starts by estimating six input values based on your ICP data, the Account Intel Brief, and industry benchmarks. You can edit every value before or after generating the narrative.
AI estimated
Annual cost of problem
The estimated annual cost this account is incurring because of the problem you solve. Derived from the account's size, industry, and the financial impact field in your ICP. The most important input - everything else scales from it.
AI estimated
Cost reduction (%)
The percentage reduction in the annual cost of the problem your solution is expected to deliver. Based on industry benchmarks for your product category and the account's context. Conservative scenario applies a 0.6x multiplier, aggressive applies 1.4x.
AI estimated
Hours saved per week per person
The weekly time saving per team member that your solution produces. Combined with the number of people impacted, this calculates the time value of the engagement using a standard hourly rate.
AI estimated
People impacted
The number of team members who directly benefit from the solution. Estimated from the account's headcount and the typical deployment profile for your product type.
AI estimated
Implementation timeline (weeks)
How long the implementation is expected to take before full value is realised. Used to calculate when payback begins and to frame the implementation risk section of the deck.
AI estimated
Investment cost
The estimated total investment - typically the first-year contract value plus implementation costs. The AI uses your ICP's deal size range as a starting point. Edit this to match your actual pricing for this account.
Editing inputs
The AI estimates are a starting point - your knowledge is more accurate
The AI estimates are based on public benchmarks and your ICP context. If you know the account spends a specific amount on the problem area, enter the real number. The metric cards update instantly as you type - no need to regenerate the narrative until you are satisfied with all six inputs. Click Recalculate with current inputs to regenerate the narrative with your edited values.
Section 3
Scenarios
The three scenarios apply a multiplier to all variable inputs. This lets you show the same account the range of possible outcomes depending on adoption rate and execution quality - a standard approach in enterprise sales.
Conservative
60% of benchmark
Applies a 0.6x multiplier to cost reduction percentage and hours saved. Use this when presenting to a sceptical CFO or when the account has had failed projects before. A credible low case builds trust more than an optimistic projection.
Realistic
Industry benchmark
The raw AI estimates. Based on average outcomes for companies of similar size and industry. The right choice for most presentations - credible, defensible, and achievable.
Aggressive
Top-quartile benchmark
Applies a 1.4x multiplier. Represents what the best-performing companies achieve. Use this when the account is technically sophisticated, has strong executive sponsorship, and is fully committed to adoption. Label it clearly as top-quartile.
Presenting scenarios
Show all three scenarios in the deck - it demonstrates rigor, not uncertainty
Showing conservative, realistic, and aggressive numbers is a sign of analytical credibility. Buyers distrust a single "optimistic" projection. Showing the range with clear assumptions lets the buyer anchor on the realistic case and feel reassured that even the conservative case justifies the investment.
Section 4
Stakeholder Personas
The stakeholder toggle changes the framing and focus of every generated output. A CFO version of the business case emphasises cost reduction and payback period. A Head of Sales version leads with pipeline growth and win rates. The same numbers, completely different narrative.
The personas shown in the toggle are pulled directly from your ICP - specifically from the Authority Roles and Influencer Roles fields in the Buying Process section of your Foundation setup. If you have set those roles to match your actual buyers, the toggle will reflect them exactly.
Finance
CFO, Finance Director, Head of Finance
Focus: cost reduction, payback period, 3-year ROI, financial risk. The narrative leads with the annual cost of the problem and the total benefit. The deck's ROI slide is the centrepiece.
Executive
CEO, Managing Director, CCO
Focus: competitive advantage, strategic growth, market positioning. The narrative connects the investment to the company's growth ambitions. Implementation speed and scalability are highlighted.
Revenue
VP Sales, Head of Sales, Revenue Operations Lead
Focus: pipeline growth, win rate improvement, shorter sales cycles, team productivity. The narrative emphasises deals won, time recaptured, and the compounding effect on quarterly targets.
Marketing
CMO, Head of Marketing, Demand Generation Lead
Focus: lead quality, conversion rate improvement, cost per acquisition, pipeline contribution. The narrative frames the investment as marketing efficiency rather than a cost.
Best practice
Generate a version for each stakeholder in the DMU
If your DMU has a CFO, a VP Sales, and a Managing Director, generate three versions of the business case - one per stakeholder persona. Use the CFO version in the procurement conversation, the VP Sales version in your champion meeting, and the MD version in the executive briefing. Each person sees the case framed for what they care about.
Section 5
The Four Impact Metrics
The ROI Engine calculates four headline metrics from your inputs. These appear in the left panel, in the deck's Business Impact slide, and in all generated outputs.
Annual saving
+€168K
Annual cost of problem multiplied by the cost reduction percentage. The direct savings from solving the problem - the most straightforward number to defend.
Total annual benefit
+€239K
Annual saving plus the time value recovered (hours saved x people x hourly rate x 52). The full picture of value created, not just cost avoided.
Payback period
2 mo
Investment divided by total annual benefit, expressed in months. The number a CFO looks at first. A payback under 12 months is strong; under 6 months is exceptional.
3-year ROI
2,464%
(Total benefit over 3 years minus investment) divided by investment. The number that goes in the executive summary. Three years is standard for SaaS ROI calculations.
Section 6
Output Tabs
The right panel of the ROI Engine has four output tabs. Generate the Business Case first - it is the source material that all other outputs draw from.
1
Business Case
A 3-paragraph narrative for the selected stakeholder persona. Paragraph 1: the problem quantified for this specific account. Paragraph 2: your solution's impact with the specific ROI numbers. Paragraph 3: ROI summary and call to action. Copy this directly into proposals, follow-up emails, or executive summaries. Click Recalculate to regenerate with edited inputs.
2
Deck
A 7-slide presentation generated with account-specific content and your brand colors. Download as PPTX to present directly in PowerPoint or Google Slides, or Print as PDF to send as an attachment. The deck uses your brand's primary and accent colors from Brand Voice settings - upload your logo in Brand Voice to have it appear on the cover slide.
3
One-pager
A compact executive summary - typically under 400 words - structured as: Executive Summary, The Challenge, Our Solution, Business Impact, Investment Overview, and Next Step. Designed to be sent as an email attachment or handed over after a meeting. Copy to clipboard and paste into a document.
4
Email
A follow-up email sending the business case to the selected stakeholder persona. Includes a subject line, 3-paragraph body, and a clear CTA. References the specific ROI numbers and is framed for the persona's priorities. Under 200 words - optimised for senior buyers who do not read long emails.
Section 7
The Presentation Deck
The deck is a 7-slide presentation with a distinct design template per slide. It is generated from your ROI data and the Account Intel Brief, and styled with your brand colors and logo from Brand Voice.
Slide 01
Cover
Company name, tagline, and presenter context. Dark background using your primary brand color. Logo top-left if uploaded.
Slide 02
The Challenge
3 specific pain points for this account, drawn from the Account Intel Brief and ICP. Numbered bullets with accent-color circles.
Slide 03
Cost of Inaction
The cost and risk of doing nothing. Red left accent bar signals urgency. 3 bullets quantifying monthly cost, competitive risk, and talent impact.
Slide 04
Our Approach
Your 3 transformation steps from the ICP, with numbered circles. Each step includes the key deliverables from your ICP transformation journey.
Slide 05
Solution Fit
Why your solution fits this specific account - references the tech stack, company size, and stage. 3 specific fit points, not generic claims.
Slide 06
Business Impact
Dark background with 2x2 metric grid: Annual saving, Total benefit, Payback period, 3-year ROI. The numbers from the selected scenario.
Slide 07
Next Steps
3 concrete actions with week-by-week timeline. Dark background with numbered circles. Closes with a clear implementation CTA.
Brand setup
Set your brand colors and logo in Brand Voice before generating decks
The deck uses three colors from your Brand Voice settings: Primary color for cover and dark slides, Accent color for bars, bullets, and highlights, and Background color for content slides. Upload your logo in the Brand Logo section of Brand Voice - it appears top-left on the cover slide in both the HTML preview and the PPTX export.
Section 8
What the AI Uses to Generate Content
Every output from the ROI Engine is built from three combined sources. The more complete each source is, the more specific and compelling the generated content.
ICP
Product, Pain, Transformation Journey, Desires, Buying Process
The product name, description, outcome, core problem, consequences, financial impact, transformation steps (with deliverables), buyer goals, authority roles, deal size, and common objections. The transformation journey steps are especially important - they become the "Our Approach" slide and the solution fit narrative.
Account Intel
Description, Pain Points, Buying Triggers, Tech Stack, Recent News
The account-specific research from the Intel Brief. Pain points directly feed the Challenge slide. Buying triggers inform the urgency framing. Tech stack enables specific integration claims. Recent news is used to make the opening paragraph of the business case feel timely and relevant.
Brand Voice
Tone, Do/Don't Rules, Vocabulary, Writing Examples, Positioning
Your tone descriptors (e.g. "direct", "confident", "no-nonsense"), writing rules, preferred vocabulary, and a sample of your writing style. The AI applies these to ensure the business case sounds like it came from your company, not a generic AI template. Brand colors and logo are used for deck styling.
Quality lever
The Account Intel Brief is the biggest quality driver
Of the three sources, the Account Intel Brief is the one most users skip and it is the one that makes the biggest difference. Without it, the AI generates business cases that could apply to any company in the industry. With a brief containing specific pain points, buying triggers, and recent news, the output references actual details about the account - the kind of specificity that makes a buyer think "they understand our situation".
Section 9
Recommended Workflow
1
Complete the Account Intel Brief first
Open the account drawer and click Analyze in the Account Brief section. Review all five fields and correct anything the AI got wrong. The more specific the pain points and buying triggers, the better the ROI Engine output.
2
Set your brand colors and upload your logo in Brand Voice
Go to Brand Voice and set the three brand colors: Primary (dark slides and cover), Accent (bullets and bars), Background (content slides). Upload your logo - it appears on the cover slide of every deck.
3
Click ROI Engine on the account card, select stakeholder and scenario
The ROI Engine button is on every ABM card. Once open, select the stakeholder persona you are preparing for and the scenario that matches the account's risk profile. Start with Realistic.
4
Click Generate ROI Estimate
The AI fills in all six input fields and generates the Business Case narrative. Review the inputs and edit any that do not match your knowledge of the account - especially the investment cost field, which you should replace with your actual pricing for this deal.
5
Switch to the Deck tab and click Generate Deck
Once the Business Case looks right, switch to the Deck tab and click Generate Deck. The AI creates 7 slides using the ROI numbers and account context. Review each slide in the HTML preview.
6
Download PPTX or Print PDF
Click Download PPTX to save a fully formatted PowerPoint file with your brand colors applied. Click Print / PDF to open the browser print dialog - save as PDF to send as an email attachment. Use Copy outline to paste the slide content into your own slide tool if you prefer.
7
Generate the One-pager and Email for follow-up
Switch to One-pager for a compact summary to attach to emails. Switch to Email for a ready-to-send follow-up message. Both are generated for the selected stakeholder persona and framed around the same ROI numbers. Change the stakeholder in the header to generate versions for different people in the DMU.