ROI calculator
Simple client-side ROI calculator for pilot payback conversations.
Blank worksheet (printable)
Fill with measured baselines before the commercial ask. Then plug the same numbers into the interactive calculator.
| Input | Your number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded cost / hour ($) | ___ | ___ |
| Hours saved / unit | ___ | ___ |
| Units / week | ___ | ___ |
| Weeks / year | ___ | ___ |
| Pilot price ($) | ___ | ___ |
| Target ACV ($) | ___ | ___ |
| Weekly savings (= cost x hours x units) | ___ | calc |
| Annualized savings | ___ | calc |
| Payback on ACV (weeks) | ___ | calc |
Working steps
Enter labor cost and hours saved.
Set weekly volume and pilot length.
Review payback estimate with the economic buyer.
Filled example inputs (fictional)
Seed the calculator conversation with their numbers.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Loaded cost / hour | $48 |
| Hours saved / unit | 2.9 |
| Units / week | 12 |
| Weeks / year | 50 |
| Implied annual savings | ~$83,500 |
| ACV under discussion | $95,000 |
AI prompt
Paste into ChatGPT or Claude. Replace bracketed placeholders with your deal facts.
Build a finance-ready ROI narrative for a pilot-to-PO conversation. Use the buyer's numbers. Do not invent industry benchmarks. Company / product: [YOURS] Buyer: [ACCOUNT] Workflow: [ ] Measured or estimated inputs: - Loaded labor cost / hour: [ ] - Hours saved per unit: [ ] - Units per week: [ ] - Weeks / year to annualize: [ ] - Pilot price: [ ] - Target annual license (ACV): [ ] - Other quantified benefits (risk, scrap, revenue): [or none] Output: 1) Input table (echo their numbers; mark assumptions) 2) Arithmetic: weekly savings, annualized savings, payback weeks on ACV, pilot vs in-window savings 3) A 6-line talk track the founder can read with the economic buyer 4) Three clarifying questions to ask live so the buyer owns the model If an input is missing, show the formula with ___ — do not fabricate.