As a sales leader, you know better than anyone what your customers and prospects want. You hear their pain points, understand their evolving needs, and recognize opportunities for new features or even entirely new products.

But despite this frontline insight, how often do your ideas disappear into the dreaded product roadmap black hole —never to be seen or heard from again?

Sales teams everywhere struggle with the same challenge: getting product management to prioritize the features that will help close more deals and drive revenue. While it’s easy to voice frustrations, the real question is how can sales influence product decisions in a way that gets results?

The answer:Build a strong business case.

Why a Business Case Matters

Product teams aren’t ignoring sales requests out of spite. They operate within a structured framework—one that prioritizes initiatives based on customer impact, technical feasibility, financial viability, and strategic fit.

If your idea isn’t backed by a well-researched, numbers-driven, and strategically sound business case, it’s unlikely to get the attention it deserves.

Key Elements of a Winning Business Case

To ensure your idea doesn’t vanish into the product roadmap void, your business case should include:

1. Market Research

Don’t just say, “Our customers want this.” Prove it. Gather industry trends, competitor insights, and customer feedback to demonstrate why this feature or product is needed.

- What are competitors offering that you don’t?

- What customer segments are requesting this feature the most?

- Is there a growing trend in the market supporting this change?

The more data-driven your case, the more compelling it becomes.

2. Business Plan

Great ideas don’t just happen—they require a roadmap. Outline a high-level business plan that aligns with your company’s strategic goals.

- How does this fit into the company’s vision?

- Will it increase revenue, improve retention, or expand into new markets?

- What are the risks, and how can they be mitigated?

The goal here is to show that your idea isn’t just an immediate sales need but a long-term business opportunity.

3. Financial Model

At the end of the day, numbers speak louder than words. A strong business case includes a financial model that forecasts the impact of your proposed product or feature.

- What’s the potential revenue upside?

- How does this improve customer lifetime value (CLV)?

- What’s the estimated cost to build and support it?

If you can show a clear return on investment (ROI), product leaders will take notice.

4. Product Features & Implementation

Finally, be as specific as possible about what needs to be built. Product teams are more likely to engage when they have clear, detailed requirements rather than vague requests.

- What are the must-have features vs. nice-to-have ones?

- How should it integrate with existing tools?

- Are there any technical constraints to consider?

The Assiduity Advantage

Instead of fighting an uphill battle, Assiduity helps sales teams structure their ideas into a format product teams will take seriously.

Our guided prompts and frameworks ensure your business case includes all necessary elements—market research, business planning, financial modeling, and product specs—so your ideas don’t get lost in the shuffle.

The result? More approved features, stronger collaboration between sales and product, and a roadmap that reflects what customers actually want.

Ready to make your sales-driven product ideas a reality? Let’s talk.