One of the biggest challenges in building a business case is making it feel real — not just theoretical. You need to show your internal partners and leadership team that your proposal is grounded in real customer behaviors, unmet needs, and future opportunities. That’s where the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework really shines.

JTBD focuses on understanding the progress people are trying to make in their lives — not simply what product they buy or which brand they prefer. It reveals the underlying motivation: what the customer is really trying to get done. These deeper insights go beyond demographics or purchase patterns. Instead, they help you see the actual problem your product or service is solving from the customer’s point of view.

Adding Depth to Consumer Understanding

Instead of asking, “Who is our customer?” JTBD reframes the conversation to ask, “What is our customer trying to accomplish, and where are the current solutions falling short?” This type of consumer insight allows you to:

• Identify unmet or underserved needs that can justify investment
• Demonstrate clear pain points your solution addresses
• Reveal gaps your competitors haven’t solved — yet

Making Your Business Case Customer-Centered

Too often, business cases are built around internal assumptions or technical capability. JTBD helps flip that script. By rooting your case in authentic customer jobs, you show stakeholders that your idea is tailored to what people actually need — and why it matters. That shift can be game-changing when seeking executive buy-in.

For example, instead of saying "We’re launching this feature because users asked for it," a JTBD-informed approach might say, "We’ve identified a high-friction step in how customers try to complete X task. This new feature removes that friction and supports their desired outcome." That subtle shift shows a deeper understanding of customer jobs — and builds a stronger rationale for investing in product research and development.

Why JTBD Resonates with Stakeholders

At the end of the day, decision-makers want clarity. JTBD offers that by helping you clearly link consumer needs to business potential. You’re not just offering a new idea — you’re showing:

• Why it matters to your customers
• Where existing solutions fall short
• How your approach fills that gap in a meaningful way

This clarity builds a more robust, evidence-backed business case — one that reduces uncertainty and aligns cross-functional teams around a shared vision.

Research alone doesn’t always drive change. Insights need to be translated into business language — especially when presenting to senior leadership. One of the most effective ways to make JTBD insights actionable is by linking them directly to risk and opportunity. This is where your business case becomes persuasive rather than just plausible.

Why Linking to Risk and Opportunity Matters

Your stakeholders care about how customer behavior impacts performance. Are we meeting consumer needs? Are we at risk of being left behind? Is a competitor solving this problem faster or better?

Jobs To Be Done research helps answer those questions in strategic ways. Because it isolates customer jobs — and not just surface-level preferences — it highlights the real-world consequences of failing to meet those needs.

Turning JTBD Insights Into Actionable Business Forces

Once you understand the jobs your customer is trying to do, ask yourself:

• What happens if we DON’T act on this need?
• Who else is solving this job — and what happens if they get it right first?
• If we solve this job meaningfully, what business results could follow (growth, loyalty, price elasticity)?

These questions help you build a case rooted in both consumer needs and business impact — aligning voice of customer insights with strategic priorities like risk analysis, competitive dynamics, and product performance.

Example: Connecting a Customer Job to a Market Opportunity

Imagine your research shows that time-strapped parents are struggling with weekday meal planning. Their “job” is to reliably feed their family without spending more time or money than necessary. If your team’s idea is to launch a flexible meal subscription service, your JTBD insights help you show:

Risk: Parents may turn to a competitor’s faster, more convenient option if we delay.

Opportunity: Early entry can build loyalty with a high-frequency customer segment dissatisfied with existing choices.

This linkage validates the voice of customer and supports stronger internal storytelling about both the upside and urgency of the proposal.

Tips for Presenting JTBD Internally

When it's time to share JTBD research with leadership or cross-functional partners, aim to tie consumer needs to business outcomes. Try these techniques:

• Frame findings in terms of potential revenue, retention, or cost savings
• Include simple JTBD examples that highlight risk or opportunity areas
• Use direct quotes from research to bring the customer voice to life

By showing how JTBD findings inform strategy and protect against threats, you create a business case that feels grounded, future-facing, and aligned with what matters most — both to your customers and your company.

Once you’ve uncovered your Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) insights, the next challenge is telling the story behind them. JTBD research doesn’t just reveal customer needs – it clarifies *why* those needs matter, and what happens if they’re unmet. A compelling strategic narrative brings those insights to life for decision-makers, translating human-centered data into a direction the business can act on.

Start With the ‘Why’ of the Customer Job

JTBD research gives you a window into what customers are really trying to achieve. For example, a customer might not just want a “healthy snack.” The underlying job could be “feel energized without disrupting my day.” Building a story around that ‘job’ – not just the product category – helps connect emotionally and strategically.

When crafting your narrative, focus on:

• The job itself: Clearly explain what the customer is trying to get done, and in what context.
• The struggle or friction: Identify where current solutions fall short, and why it matters to your target audience.
• The opportunity: Show how solving this job better leads to satisfaction, loyalty, or expanded market potential.

Link the Job to Meaningful Business Outcomes

To make your story resonate internally, connect the dots between customer jobs and business priorities. This might include:

• Reducing churn by solving overlooked unmet needs
• Driving product adoption by aligning features with key jobs
• Entering new markets based on underserved job segments

These kinds of links help showcase how JTBD supports both short-term improvements and long-term growth strategy.

Make the Narrative Actionable

Finally, a strong JTBD strategic narrative doesn’t just describe the customer – it outlines what your business should do next. Be clear about:

• What this insight should inspire: a product pivot, a messaging shift, a new feature, etc.
• Who needs to take action: product teams, marketing, leadership, etc.
• What success will look like: define metrics tied to the job being done better

JTBD research only gains momentum when it’s translated into a common language internally. A clear narrative allows teams across departments to rally around a shared consumer truth – and act with confidence.

Most executives aren’t looking for a deep dive into tactics – they want clarity, direction, and confidence in the opportunity ahead. When presenting JTBD research to senior leaders, the goal is to move beyond data and into decision-making. Here’s how to make your case resonate with your leadership team.

1. Lead With Impact, Not Process

While your JTBD framework and research rigor matter, they aren’t your lead-in. Begin by sharing what you discovered – the unmet needs, the customer jobs, and the consequence of not solving them. Then, briefly explain *how* you uncovered it. This keeps the focus on the insights, not the methods.

2. Keep It Customer-Centric & Outcome-Oriented

Frame the conversation around what the customer is trying to achieve and how that aligns with business opportunities. Use simple, human language – avoiding too much jargon – to ensure that your audience connects with the insight.

Effective JTBD presentations to leadership emphasize:

• What customers struggle with today
• Where competitors fail to meet the need
• What success looks like if your company solves it

3. Quantify Where Possible

JTBD is often rooted in qualitative consumer research, but decision-makers often need numbers to feel confident. Use supporting market research, voice of customer data, or product research metrics to quantify things like:

• Size of the customer segment
• Cost of inaction or lost market share
• Revenue potential from solving key customer jobs

Even directional estimates go a long way in making your business case more compelling.

4. Offer Clear Strategic Choices

Don’t just present findings – show what they enable. Outline how JTBD insights fuel decisions around product development, messaging, customer experience, or go-to-market strategy.

Framing the insight as a decision-support tool shows leadership that this isn’t just more research – it’s a roadmap.

5. Anticipate Pushback & Be Ready to Link to Risk

Be prepared for questions like: “What if we don’t act?” or “Haven’t we heard this before?” Use JTBD to talk about business risk mapping – what happens if you ignore core customer needs and competitors don’t? Showing risk alongside opportunity places your insights squarely in the strategic arena.

Great JTBD presentations don’t just get heard – they create momentum. By focusing on relevance, clarity, and outcomes, you help your insights move from slides into action.

Even the best jobs to be done research can fall flat if it’s not communicated effectively. To ensure your findings land with impact and drive business value, it’s important to sidestep some common pitfalls when sharing JTBD insights internally.

Mistake 1: Focusing Too Much on the Framework

While the JTBD framework is crucial for structuring research, steeping your story too heavily in terminology can confuse stakeholders unfamiliar with it. Rather than leading with “functional,” “emotional,” or “social” jobs language, focus on the plain-language needs customers have and what’s at stake when those jobs go unmet.

Keep the customer at the center of the narrative – not the framework.

Mistake 2: Treating the Job as Too Abstract

JTBD loses impact when it becomes detached from real-world behavior. Be sure to ground your jobs in vivid customer quotes, market research evidence, or product use-case examples. For instance, rather than saying a job is just “to feel in control,” show what that looks like: “Customers seek tech solutions that simplify complex tasks so they don’t feel overwhelmed at work.”

Clear, relatable examples make insights easier to internalize – and act on.

Mistake 3: Overgeneralizing Across Segments

Every product doesn’t solve every job for every person. One of the strengths of JTBD is identifying specific segments or contexts where pain points are highest. Sharing insights without acknowledging who the job applies to – and who it doesn’t – can lead to misalignment across teams.

Be precise about the audience and avoid assuming broad, universal applicability.

Mistake 4: Ignoring the Business Lens

It’s easy to get caught up in interesting customer insights and forget to tie them back to business outcomes. Always connect your JTBD insights to:

• Product or messaging priorities
• Revenue or retention goals
• Innovation roadmaps or market entry decisions

Without a clear link to the business, even powerful JTBD insights can turn into “nice-to-haves.”

Mistake 5: Sharing Too Much All at Once

JTBD research can uncover a rich set of insights – but trying to communicate it all at once is overwhelming. Prioritize the few core jobs or themes that have the biggest strategic relevance. Then, offer follow-up resources for those who want to dig deeper.

Less is often more when it comes to internal JTBD communication. Keep the message focused, and keep inviting engagement over time.