How to Structure a Business Case your Champion Can Present Without You.
Your champion needs to take the deal to a committee, a CFO, or a senior leader who was not in any of your meetings.
Most internal approval processes follow a predictable shape: problem, options considered, recommended solution, expected return, implementation plan. If your materials do not map to that shape, your champion has to translate everything before they can present it - and something gets lost or softened. When your one-pager already fits their internal template, the champion can drop it straight in and present with confidence.
Where it goes wrong
The champion goes into the approval meeting underprepared. They get asked a question they cannot answer - 'What did you consider besides this vendor?' or 'What happens if the improvement is half what you projected?' - and the deal gets sent back for more work.
What you'll be able to do
The AE can produce a one-page or two-slide summary that follows the shape of an internal business case, so the champion can use it directly rather than rebuilding it from scratch.
How to do it
Ask the champion early
Ask the champion early: 'When you take something like this to leadership for approval, what does that document usually look like?' Mirror their format, not yours.
Cover these sections in order
Cover these sections in order: the problem and its cost, the options you considered, the recommended solution and why, the expected return with assumptions, and the implementation plan with owners and milestones.
Write a short executive summary at the top -
Write a short executive summary at the top - two sentences on the problem, one on the recommendation, one on the headline return. Leaders read the top and skim the rest.
Include a risks and mitigations section
Include a risks and mitigations section. It feels counterintuitive to name risks, but finance trusts a case more when it acknowledges what could go wrong.
Add speaker notes or a short talking-track so the
Add speaker notes or a short talking-track so the champion knows how to answer the three most likely pushback questions without you on the call.
See the difference
The AE sends a polished 12-slide product deck with the pricing page at the back. The champion uses it as-is. The CFO asks 'What else did you look at?' and 'What's the implementation risk?' The champion does not have answers ready. Decision deferred.
The AE sends a two-page document with these headings: Problem and Current Cost, Options Considered, Recommended Approach, Expected Return (with assumptions), Implementation Timeline, Risks and Mitigations. At the bottom: 'Next step - approval by [date] to hit [go-live milestone].' The champion reads it once and says 'I can present this tomorrow.' The CFO asks about risks. The champion points to the mitigations section.
The AE can produce a one-page or two-slide summary that follows the shape of an internal business case, so the champion can use it directly rather than rebuildi
How you'll know it's working
You have got it when a champion tells you they used your document almost word for word in the approval meeting.
Questions people ask
How do you structure a business case your champion can present without you?
Most internal approval processes follow a predictable shape: problem, options considered, recommended solution, expected return, implementation plan. If your materials do not map to that shape, your champion has to translate everything before they can present it - and something gets lost or softened. The AE can produce a one-page or two-slide summary that follows the shape of an internal business case, so the champion can use it directly rather than rebuilding it from scratch.
What is the most common mistake to avoid?
The champion goes into the approval meeting underprepared. They get asked a question they cannot answer - 'What did you consider besides this vendor?' or 'What happens if the improvement is half what you projected?' - and the deal gets sent back for more work.
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