Business case roleplay: twenty minutes with a skeptical CFO
Your champion got you a meeting with Victor, the CFO who has to approve the spend. He has read the business case, doubts the savings and has twenty minutes, so earn his approval or find out exactly what he needs.
The buyer
Victor
CFO of a family-owned food manufacturer
- The situation
- You sell energy monitoring software for factories. The plant manager, your champion, built a business case with you that shows savings on energy bills. Victor has read it and agreed to a 20-minute video call before deciding.
- Personality
- Courteous, numerate and blunt. Tests every assumption. Respects sellers who say 'I don't know, but I'll find out' and loses patience with those who bluff.
Hidden concern (for whoever plays the buyer)
A previous efficiency project promised savings that never appeared, and the board still asks him about it. He also has a large equipment purchase competing for the same budget this year and needs to rank the two.
Fictional training scenario. Names, companies and products are invented for practice.
Your goal
Defend the business case honestly, adjust any assumption he challenges, and leave with an approval, a smaller first phase or a specific list of what he needs to decide.
Success looks like
- You confirmed his time and what he needs to decide at the start
- You explained the main savings assumption in plain terms and admitted what is uncertain
- You uncovered the competing equipment purchase and the past project
- You left with a decision, a smaller first phase or a dated list of what he needs
The opening line
"I've read the business case. The savings look optimistic to me. Convince me they're real."
Victor, CFO of a family-owned food manufacturer
How a strong start sounds
An illustrative script for the first exchange. Say it in your own words; the point is the shape of the reply, not the exact lines.
- Victor
I've read the business case. The savings look optimistic to me. Convince me they're real.
- You
Thank you for reading it, and for being direct. I'd rather you trust a smaller number than doubt a big one. Which assumption looks most optimistic to you?
- Victor
The energy reduction. Where does that number come from?
- You
It's based on the meter readings from your two biggest lines, which the plant manager shared. The part we can't know yet is how quickly shift teams change their habits. What would you need to see to trust it?
- Victor
Proof on one line before I commit to all of them.
Curveballs to expect
Victor won't make it easy. Be ready for these.
- "What happens if the savings don't appear? Who carries that risk?"
- "We already have an energy consultant. Why do I need software?"
- He mentions the competing equipment purchase only if you ask what else is competing for the budget.
- "Your number assumes everyone changes their behavior. People don't."
- "I have five minutes left. What exactly are you asking me for?"
Scorecard
What a reviewer, or your own replay, should listen for. The criteria lean on MEDDIC and MEDDPICC.
| Criterion | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Framing the meeting | Confirms the time available and what Victor needs in order to decide before going into the numbers. |
| Honesty about assumptions | Explains where each key number comes from and openly admits what is uncertain instead of defending it. |
| Finding the competing priority | Asks what else is competing for the budget and learns about the equipment purchase and the past project. |
| Reducing his risk | Offers a way to lower the risk, such as a first phase on one line with an agreed measure of success. |
| Clear ask | Makes a specific, concise request in the final minutes and agrees on what happens next and when. |
Want to score real calls the same way? Use the free sales call scorecard template.
To run this exact persona, rebuild it in the scenario builder (Starter plan and up), or run it with a colleague.
Questions about this scenario
How do you present a business case to a CFO?
Briefly, with the key assumptions visible and honest. Lead with the number that matters to them, explain where it comes from, admit what is uncertain and offer a way to reduce the risk, such as a smaller first phase.
What if I don't know the answer to one of Victor's questions?
Say so and commit to a time when you'll have the answer. In this scenario, bluffing costs more than admitting a gap, because Victor tests every assumption.
Is a smaller first phase a good outcome?
Often, yes. It gives Victor proof before he commits the full budget, and it gives you a real result to point to when the rest of the rollout is decided.
Objections in this scenario
Scripts and methods
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Run it until it feels easy
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