Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  November 05, 2026

When Buyers Decide to do Without

Attention corporate trainers: has your brilliant explanation of ROI fallen on deaf ears? This CFO article explains why, with a bombshell to which all of us need to pay attention.

Let’s move past the shock that over 50% of those polled are willing to live with slower employee skill building in favor of AI investments. This article raises a great question: how do we proceed when the client already accepts the cost of doing without?

Repositioning your value only works if buyers don’t understand the cost of giving up whatever you offer. The new reality is that they are aware and believe it’s the lesser of two evils. That’s why all the cool descriptions of your ROI don’t matter.

This right here is competing priorities on steroids.

Time for a new approach. Instead of arguing with a decision already made, find another budget and latch on to that. Example: if the client wants more market share, they’re willing to invest in that. So, ask what needs to change internally. If they answer more tools, ask about implementation. Ask about the cost of derailment. The key is to tap into the high priority initiatives.

Competing with the lesser of two evils is harder than it appears. The key is to fit into their choices, not try to change decisions set in stone.

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Now read this:

New Political Reality in the C-Suite

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