When finance shows up before the close |
If you’ve seen Margin Call, you know how quickly things change when finance gets involved.
The entire movie plays out over 24 hours inside an investment firm that suddenly realizes it’s sitting on massive risk. At first, the reaction is almost dismissive — it’s just numbers, it’s just exposure, it’s just money. |
Then someone actually runs the numbers, and everything changes. What felt manageable gets questioned. What looked like a plan no longer holds. That’s what’s happening in B2B deals right now. Financial scrutiny is showing up sooner — not just at procurement and approval, but while the deal is still being shaped. I spoke with our CFO, Zach Jones, about what he’s seeing, and his answer was direct:
“Can I have a discount? … That usually means they don’t see your product as differentiated.” That’s not a question about the pricing, but about value. Once the budget enters the conversation, the deal changes. The question is no longer: “Do we like this?” It becomes: “Do we need this enough to pay for it?” |
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Where deals start to break |
Financial scrutiny used to show up late. Now it shows up while the deal is still in the works. Which means: |
- Pricing gets challenged earlier
- ROI gets questioned sooner
- Alternatives are evaluated in parallel
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🧠 Why this matters for sales |
Your champion can get you in, but they can’t get you approved. This is because the deal is being tested against budget constraints, internal alternatives, and competing priorities. In addition, those questions don’t wait for “final stages.” So, if you’re not shaping the financial narrative early, you’re reacting to it later. |
- Sell the cost of inaction early. Frame what happens if nothing changes before pricing comes up
- Quantify impact in discovery. Tie your solution to measurable outcomes before the budget is discussed
- Preempt internal alternatives. Assume you’re competing against:
- Internal builds
- Cheaper tools
- Doing nothing
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Because once finance is involved, justification wins over preference. |
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Why “nice-to-have” messaging is breaking deals |
This is where marketing feels the shift. Zach put it clearly:
“The number one thing a CFO looks for is proof of success — and whether they can achieve the same outcome internally at a lower cost.” That’s the filter deals that are going through. And it exposes a common gap: Messaging that creates interest, but not urgency. |
🧠 Why this matters for marketing |
A lot of marketing still positions solutions as efficiency gains, improvements, or “nice upgrades.” Doing that drives engagement, but it doesn’t hold up under financial scrutiny. |
When finance evaluates the deal, the comparison is simple: |
- Buy vs build
- Buy vs wait
- Buy vs do nothing
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If your messaging doesn’t clearly answer that, it gets deprioritized. |
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Shift from value to consequence. Show what happens if the problem isn’t solved.
- Lead with proof. Case studies and outcomes should show up early, not just at the bottom of the funnel.
- Make differentiation explicit. If buyers are asking for discounts, your positioning isn’t strong enough.
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Because “nice-to-have” doesn’t survive financial review. |
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Marketing: “There’s strong interest.”
Sales: “It’s not moving.” The disconnect lies in evaluation. Marketing sees content consumption, demo requests, and inbound activity. On the other hand, sales experiences stalled conversations, delayed decisions, and stalled deals. Meanwhile, finance is the layer in between. Because once a deal is evaluated financially, interest, activity, and even internal support aren’t enough. |
What matters is the answer to the question, “Can this be justified?” The teams that align on that early win more of the deals they’re already in. The teams that don’t watch “good deals” disappear.
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Deals aren’t just being sold; they’re being evaluated earlier and more critically. Which means:
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- Your champion is necessary but not sufficient
- Your differentiation has to be clear
- Your ability to prove value determines whether the deal survives
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Once someone finally runs the numbers, the deal doesn’t get better; it gets real. |
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Submissions have been edited for length & clarity |
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| What’s one question budget-minded buyers are asking earlier than they used to?
“Can I have a discount?” This often means that they do not see your product as differentiated. It should not be about the cost of selecting your solution; the answer should be about the cost of not selecting the tool. What makes a deal feel financially risky, even when the champion is sold?
The number one thing a CFO is going to look for is proof of success and whether they can produce the same outcome with internal resources at a lower cost. Vendors must prove they have a track record of success and back it up with case studies, customer references, and build credibility throughout the process.
Zach Jones, CFO at TechnologyAdvice
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Enjoyed this issue?
We break down how buyers actually move and what top teams do differently. If you’re rethinking your funnel or pipeline, catch up with our past issues. |
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Bianca has spent the past four years helping businesses strengthen relationships and boost performance through strategic sales and customer engagement initiatives. Drawing on her experience in field sales and territory management, she transforms real-world expertise into actionable insights that drive growth and foster lasting client partnerships. |
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