Trust is the key factor in customer buying decisions, and you can build it with a solid demonstration of the ROI you can deliver. Learn about the key elements of an effective ROI study.
It’s officially spooky season! But you can save the scaries for the end of the month — we’ve got your go-to-market tips for a confident quarter ahead.
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PRINCIPLES
Trust the process
You may notice that we talk a lot about trust around here, and it’s not just because it sounds warm and fuzzy. It’s increasingly clear that trust is the key decision-making factor for buyers, and growth depends on genuinely earning it.
Trust is also a big reason that Ecosystem-Led Growth is so powerful — ELG motions are built on trusted networks among your partners and customers. The more trust your company and products earn, the more your partner ecosystem can work for you.
And trust isn’t just a vibe — it’s based on results. According to GTM Partners, research shows that 57% of buyers now expect to see ROI from their software purchases in under 90 days (whereas just one year ago, 47% expected to see ROI in 6 months).
No matter what GTM strategy you’re focusing on, you should always be armed with clear, vetted ROI proof points to show your partners and prospects that they’ll win by trusting you.
TACTICS
Must-have elements of an effective ROI study
Case studies, surveys, and testimonials are all great assets to show the ROI of your solution. An ROI study is a resource that thoughtfully brings this evidence together into a narrative that strengthens your case.
GTM Partners has written dozens of ROI studies for top companies, and recently shared in their GTMonday newsletter the key components of effective ROI studies as guidance for when you’re ready to create your own:
The anatomy of an ROI study
An effective ROI study is more than just a collection of numbers – it's a compelling narrative backed by data that clearly demonstrates the value of a product or service.
Here are some key components:
- Business Challenge: A clear description of the problem or opportunity the solution addresses.
- Solution Overview: A brief explanation of how the product or service solves the challenge.
- Use Cases: How is the solution used by the customer or customers reflected in the ROI study?
- Quantitative and/or Qualitative Benefits: Hard numbers showing financial impact (e.g., cost savings, revenue increases) or softer benefits that may not have a direct dollar value but are still important.
- Customer Quotes and Testimonials: Real feedback from real customers to add credibility.
- Third-Party Validation: In addition to customer quotes, it can be helpful to have other third-party validation from academics, analysts, industry experts, or thought leaders.
- Methodology: An outline of how data was collected and analyzed.
Quantitative vs. qualitative measures
While quantitative measures provide concrete numbers that are easy to grasp, qualitative measures often tell a more complete story.
Quantitative measures:
- • Revenue increases (e.g., G2 customers reporting 174% increase in ARR)
- • Cost savings (e.g., ZoomInfo customers saving hours per day in productivity)
- • Productivity improvements (e.g., Vidyard customers booking 4x more meetings)
- • Pipeline generation (e.g., ON24 customers generating $25M in pipeline in one year)
Qualitative measures:
- • Enhanced customer satisfaction
- • Improved brand perception
- • Better employee morale
- • Increased market share
For example, Totango + Catalyst's ROI study highlighted both quantitative metrics like a 20% increase in retention and qualitative benefits such as CS teams becoming "trusted advisors" to both customers and leadership.
Short-term vs. long-term ROI considerations
It's crucial to consider both immediate and future benefits in an ROI study.
Short-term ROI:
- • Immediate cost savings
- • Quick productivity boosts
- • Fast implementation wins
Long-term ROI:
- • Sustained revenue growth
- • Long-term cost efficiencies
- • Strategic market positioning
- • Scalability benefits
For instance, ZoomInfo's ROI study showcased both immediate productivity gains (5 hours saved per week using Copilot) and long-term revenue impacts ($2M in new revenue for Focus EduVation).
FROM THE ECOSYSTEM
“As a founder, a big part of my job is to say the same thing over and over and over again. This sound bite might represent my #1 talking point in the history of Crossbeam… this 73 seconds holds the paradigm shift that is going to change your company. It's the great unlock of ecosystem revenue.” - Bob Moore, CEO and Co-founder, Crossbeam
WELL, WHAT IS IT??
Watch Bob’s quick video clip on LinkedIn to catch the wisdom for your company’s growth.
A SPECIAL FAVOR
Future of Revenue survey
As a GTM leader, your experience and insights are crucial to understanding the direction of revenue strategies in our industry.
We’ve partnered with Pavilion to survey GTM leaders, and we’d love it if you could take 7 minutes to share your thoughts.
Your input is anonymous, and you’ll get early access to the report before its big reveal this fall.
Share your experience here.
STUFF YOU CAN'T MISS
- October 1-3: RevCon - TODAY: RevGenius partnered with Common Room, Sigma, Avoma, The Juice, and many more to bring you a 3-day virtual conference to reunite your sales, marketing, RevOps, and CS leaders behind to learn and discuss about the future of SaaS. Save your spot here.
- October 9: The Next Era of Ecosystem Technology: 360Insights and GTM experts like Hannibal Scipio (Forrester), Cody Sunkel (Partner Fleet), Maisa Fernandez (ServiceNow), Kevin Linehan (Crossbeam) and many more, will dive into how ecosystem orchestration is reshaping go-to-market strategies. Save your spot here.
- October 14-16: GTM2024: Join Pavilion at The Fairmont in Austin, TX to get ahead on your 2025 GTM strategy, learn about market trends, and boost your GTM strategy. Get your ticket here.
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