How important do you feel it is to provide a decison maker with a business case justification when pitching your software and services?

The following graph was captured during a survey conducted by Forrester Research and presented during a recent SQL Server webcast. I agreed with the presenter and firmly believe delivering a solid business case to any prospective buyer (big or small), regardless of the solution, is your key differentiator.

Occassionally I’ll meet a sales team who disagrees with me on the importance of selling with ROI (return on investment) or Payback. One sales professional claimed this method of selling is “only for the big dogs”.

I contend that in today’s selling environment you are not just competing against other software providers but other capital investments. Often times the sales team with the greater, more credible cost justification, is rewarded with the winning decision.

What are your experiences? When were you successful and when did it backfire on you?