The tech team might love your product, but that doesn’t mean the deal is done. Not even close.

The real challenge? Getting signoff from the C-Suite.

Too many B2B companies assume their product’s value is obvious. But executives don’t buy technology, they buy financial outcomes. If your messaging isn’t making the business case clear, you’re forcing buyers to do the math themselves. And guess what? They won’t.

Brian Reed, SVP GTM at Appdome, puts it simply:

If your marketing isn’t built for the boardroom, you’re losing deals before they even reach the final decision-maker.

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Features don’t close deals, economics do

B2B marketers and sales teams often fall into the trap of leading with technical features. Customers get it, your product is great. But you’re leaving them to connect the dots on their own.

The disconnect only grows as you move through the org. Because at the executive level, deals aren’t about features, they’re about the financial impact.

Every B2B investment must answer one of these three financial justifications:

• Does this make the company more money? (Increase revenue, expand market share, accelerate product launches)

• Does this save the company money? (Reduce operational costs, minimize fraud losses, optimize processes)

• Does this help the company meet requirements? (Avoid fines, meet industry standards, protect brand reputation)

If these core financial drivers are closing deals, why is your marketing focusing on the bells and whistles?

Too many sales teams assume that once the technical buyer is convinced, the deal is done. Not even close. The CFO is by far the hardest sell. 

How to market to the CFO (even if you never talk to them)

“Defeating” the “final boss” means getting buy-in from the CFO and the rest of the C-Suite.

No easy task. Especially since your sales and marketing teams often don’t ever get the opportunity to sit down with the team that holds the purse strings.

So how do you market and sell to them?

By partnering with your biggest champions internally, who can get that meeting, or at least send an email. The security, IT, or product leaders who need your product decide your fate. This means teaching your champions how to present the business and economic value (and don’t just arm them with the product features!).

Your messaging needs to equip internal champions to sell your solution internally. That means:

Providing clear ROI calculations:

Do the math for them. Arm them with the numbers they need, in a language they understand. Show them exactly how much your solution will deliver in measurable financial benefits so that they can relay the message.

Using case studies with quantifiable results:

Let’s play a little game. What do you think will resonate more with a CFO?

(A) “This solution utilizes cutting-edge AI capabilities to prevent fraud.”

(B) “This AI-driven fraud prevention system reduced fraudulent transactions by 40%, saving XYZ Bank an average of $15M per year in chargeback losses.”

Try (A) and watch a CFO’s eyes glaze over.

Put the right stories and the right numbers in your internal champions' hands.

Training sales and marketing teams to sell business outcomes, not features:

Of course, if your own sales and marketing teams can’t sell outcomes, how are they going to teach someone in IT?

Closing thoughts

Features don’t close deals, business value and financial impact do. If you want your product to be a must-have instead of a nice-to-have, your messaging, and proposals should put the business value and numbers front and center.

Tech buyers may evaluate your product, but CFOs approve the budget. If your marketing isn’t making their job easier, you’re making it harder to win.

The goal of AskCMO is to help you become a better B2B marketer. We’d love to get your honest feedback.

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