{"id":"sales-roi-claim-from-customer-numbers","audience":"sales","category":"sales-work","technique":"grounding","track":"sales","level":"advanced","title":"Answer \"justify the price\" with math from the buyer's own numbers","free":false,"task":"The buyer's VP asks you to justify the $36,000 annual price. Write a reply in plain text under 140 words with exactly 4 numbered lines: 1. Time saved per year (hours), 2. Value of that time in dollars, 3. Net after price, 4. One honest caveat. Use only the numbers the buyer gave you (not our benchmarks), show the math on lines 1 to 3, and begin line 3 with \"If your numbers hold,\". Do not promise results.","materialLabel":"Buyer's numbers and our materials (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Buyer: Quillon Insurance Brokers. VP: Anita Sorrell. Price quote: $36,000/year for 40 brokers.\n\nWhat Anita told us on the Oct 28 call:\n- Each broker spends about 5 hours a week on manual quote comparisons.\n- She believes our tool could cut that by about half (her guess, not tested).\n- Loaded cost of a broker: $55 an hour (her figure).\n- Brokers work 48 weeks a year.\n\nOur marketing benchmark (not to be used): \"customers save 70% of quote-comparison time.\"\nPilot result with a different customer: 40% saved (one pilot, 6 brokers; not cleared for outside use).\n\nCheck: 40 brokers x 5 hours x 48 weeks = 9,600 hours/year of quote comparison. Half = 4,800 hours.\n\nOne caveat to state: savings are only value if freed time is spent on selling or other billable work.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":140}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using our benchmark","why":"The AI uses 70% savings from marketing.","fix":"Add: \"Use only the buyer's own numbers.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Promising the result","why":"The AI says 'you will save'.","fix":"Add: \"Begin line 3 with If your numbers hold, and don't promise results.\"","checks":["r1","r2"]},{"title":"Math skipped","why":"The AI states $228,000 with no steps.","fix":"Add: \"Show the math on lines 1 to 3.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong format","why":"The AI writes a long business case.","fix":"Add: \"Exactly 4 numbered lines under 140 words.\"","checks":["r0","numberedItems","maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Lists the four lines","patterns":["time saved","value","net","caveat"]},{"label":"Restricts to buyer numbers","patterns":["buyer.s (own )?numbers","only the numbers","not our benchmark"]},{"label":"Asks for the math","patterns":["show the math","x \\$55","40 x 5"]},{"label":"Sets the line 3 opener","patterns":["if your numbers hold"]},{"label":"Bans promises","patterns":["don.t promise","no promise","guarantee"]}],"hint":"Say whose numbers to use, to show the math, and the exact opening words for line 3.","rubricLabels":["Has exactly 4 numbered lines in the order time saved, value, net after price, caveat","Line 1 shows 40 x 5 x 48 x 50% = 4,800 hours, line 2 shows 4,800 x $55 = $264,000, and line 3 begins with \"If your numbers hold,\" and shows 264,000 - 36,000 = $228,000","Does not use the 70% benchmark or the 40% pilot, does not promise results, and the caveat says the value only counts if the freed time is used for selling or other billable work"]}