When your marketing team is seeking to make a large purchase, you must convince your CFO that the purchase will be worthwhile. But finance and marketing are not necessarily compatible languages. So how do you convince the CFO to open the checkbook? 

First, determine if your requested allocation falls into either (or perhaps both) of these types:

• Revenue-generating initiatives that promote growth, retention, and expansion of your customer base
• Overhead initiatives that promote overhead functions like facilities, utilities, etc.

Making this determination will aid you in framing your conversation with the CFO. For overhead initiatives, efficiency and cost control are the pertinent points. For initiatives that are to generate revenue, the pertinent points are outcomes and ROI. For a combination initiative, draw a map that goes from efficiency to freeing up money to growth.

CFOs are all about metrics, but there’s no need to overwhelm them with tons of dashboards to prove your point. Pick a few metrics to illustrate the connection between marketing efforts and the organization’s overall health. Consider:

• Customer lifetime value (LTV)
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Churn and retention
• Average revenue per account (ARPU)

Rather than making a purchase request, frame your appeal more like a hypothesis with supporting evidence. Show the CFO:

• Expected accomplishments and why they’re important
• Milestones, both short- and long-term, and how these will be measured
• Which milestones are expected to show impact sooner and which later

Use more specific metrics rather than generalized ones. Instead of “increase APR,” think more granular, such as:

• Reduce CAC for a specific channel
• Improve retention for a specific segment
• Increase ARPU via a specific cross-sell motion

Additional points to consider:

• The CFO will need strong information to reach a decision and will want options to consider. Offer a ramp-up option – starting small with a pilot program to prove worth, then increase funding later.
• Be accountable and transparent if things don’t work out as planned and share updates with the CFO about what you’re learning and what you’re planning next.
• Build relationships with the finance team and treat them more like a partner rather than a gatekeeper.