“Show me the payback in our numbers”
COO · Resource management
A COO who has heard every vendor promise better utilisation wants proof that applies to their own firm, not someone else's. Don't reach for another case study. Make it their maths: ask for two of their own numbers, like utilisation and bench time, and build the payback together on the call.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
Every vendor promises better utilisation. Show me the payback in our numbers, not someone else's case study.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "every vendor promises" and "our numbers". The COO doesn't doubt the problem. They distrust claims that weren't made for their firm.
Acknowledge
Agree that someone else's case study proves little about their firm, and that the payback has to work in their own numbers.
Explore
Ask for two or three of their own figures: current utilisation, time people spend on the bench, how long it takes to staff a new project, and the cost of using contractors to fill gaps. Ask which of these the board watches most closely.
Respond
Build the payback with them, using their figures and conservative assumptions they agree with. Show which inputs matter most, and offer to check the result against real data during a pilot.
Say this
“That's fair. Someone else's case study proves very little about your firm.”
Say this
“Could we use two of your own numbers, like utilisation and bench time?”
Say this
“Which of those does your board watch most closely?”
Variations
- CFO: “Every resourcing tool claims it pays for itself. None of them have.”
- Managing Partner: “Show me what it means for our margins, not a percentage on a slide.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a buyer wants proof of payback in their own numbers?
Agree that other firms' case studies prove little. Ask for two or three of their own figures, such as utilisation and bench time, and build the payback together with conservative assumptions they agree with. Offer to check it in a pilot.
How do you build a business case for resource management software?
Use the buyer's own figures: utilisation, bench time, time to staff a project and contractor spend. Agree the assumptions with them, keep them conservative, and show which inputs matter most.
More objections in Resource management
- “We could build it ourselves”
- “Our partners will never give up control”
- “Our people won't want an algorithm deciding”
- “I already know who to staff”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.