Lead with Basis Points, Not Buzzwords: Messaging That Resonates with Treasurers

Why treasurers tune out buzzwords (and lean into numbers)

Treasurers are among the most disciplined, detail-driven buyers in finance. Their focus isn’t on slogans or abstract promises of “future-ready finance.” Their world is measured in basis points saved, straight-through processing (STP) rates achieved, reject ratios reduced, and working capital days freed up.

That’s why generic claims about “streamlined processes” or “smarter workflows” rarely resonate. They’re not inherently wrong, but they don’t connect to how treasurers measure performance.

The data supports this shift. In Deloitte’s 2024 Global Corporate Treasury Survey, treasurers ranked cash visibility (50%), financial risk management (48%), and funding/liquidity (43%) as their top priorities . These are not abstract goals, they’re tightly defined outcomes measured daily in dashboards, reconciliations, and board packs.

At the same time, McKinsey highlights that treasury’s role is expanding beyond transactions to strategic partnership optimizing balance sheet resilience, managing enterprise-wide risk, and supporting working capital strategy . The treasurer has become both an operator and a strategist, and messaging that fails to reflect this reality will quickly lose credibility.

For B2B marketers, that creates an enormous opportunity. By speaking in the treasurer’s own language, one of numbers, benchmarks, and business cases, you can cut through noise, win trust, and move complex deals forward.

The blind spot: why “efficiency” doesn’t move deals

Marketers often fall back on broad, feel-good claims. Think:

• “Smarter treasury management.”
• “Efficiency through automation.”
• “Future of liquidity.”

The problem is not that these statements are false, but that they’re too abstract to be useful.

Compare:

• ❌ “Improve efficiency with seamless automation.”
• ✅ “Reduce reject rates by 22%, unlocking 30–40 bps in FX savings per $100m routed.”

The first is vague; the second is actionable. It gives a treasurer something they can take to their CFO and say, “Here’s the potential impact.”

And impact is exactly what they need. According to Gartner, 77% of B2B buyers say their last purchase was “very complex or difficult”. What cuts through that complexity is clear, quantifiable ROI evidence presented in the buyer’s own terms.

How to speak in basis points (Problem → Insight → Solution)

1. Anchor in treasury’s key metrics

Treasurers measure performance by a handful of precise levers:

• Basis points (bps): Even marginal gains translate into significant savings.
• STP rates: Low STP means high exception handling costs and delayed cash visibility.
• Reject ratios: Failed payments disrupt liquidity and create reconciliation headaches.
• Working capital days: DSO/DPO improvements free up liquidity for the enterprise.
  

If your solution shifts any of these metrics, quantify it upfront. For example: “Improving STP rates by 15% can free up $20m in liquidity for a multinational with $10bn in daily payments.”

2. Package proof, not promises

Treasurers are cautious by design. They don’t want hype; they want evidence they can re-use internally. Marketers can package this in practical ways:

• Calculators: Allow buyers to plug in their own transaction volumes and FX spreads to see bps savings.
• Routing diagrams: Visualize payment flows before vs. after your solution, highlighting reduced failure points.
  
• Case math: “Reducing rejects from 5% to 2% saved $1.2m annually in exception handling for a $3bn corporate.”

When content is designed as a boardroom-ready tool, it empowers treasurers to champion your solution within the buying committee.

3. Distribute in trusted treasury channels

It’s not enough to publish great proof on your own site. You need to show up where treasurers already spend time:

• The Global Treasurer native features: Editorially credible thought leadership that aligns with what practitioners are already reading.
• Industry forums and conferences: AFP, EuroFinance, ACT, where peer discussions carry weight.
• Professional networks: LinkedIn groups and peer councils focused on liquidity, FX, and payments innovation.

4. Equip buyers with board-ready narratives

Treasurers often present solutions to the CFO or board. Help them succeed by delivering assets that are portable, visual, and concise:

• Two-slide proof packs: Slide 1 = quantified problem (bps leakage, reject costs). Slide 2 = measurable outcome.
• Scenario toggles: Show how your impact holds up in high vs. low interest rate environments.
• Risk context: Position improvements not just as efficiency, but as resilience against regulatory and operational risks.
  

McKinsey research shows that leading treasurers are expected to optimize working capital while also shaping balance sheet strategy . Your message should therefore span both the operational (fewer rejects, better STP) and the strategic (cash predictability, capital efficiency).

5. Measure what really matters

Treasury-focused campaigns don’t succeed on clicks alone. Better metrics include:

• Meeting creation: Are treasurers booking deeper sessions after consuming your content
• Opportunity velocity: Are deals moving faster through early stages when proof-led messaging is used?
• Multi-thread engagement: Are Ops, Risk, IT, and CFO staff engaging together on the same opportunity?
  

These indicators track much more closely to how treasury decisions are actually made.

A real-world pivot: from buzz to basis points

One cross-border payments vendor shifted its marketing from broad slogans to metric-driven narratives.

• Old messaging: “Faster, smarter global payments.”
• New messaging: “Recover up to 25 bps lost in FX spreads by optimizing routing.”

Execution:

• Partnered with The Global Treasurer to publish an STP benchmarking report.
• Released a calculator showing the cost of failed transactions for corporates.
• Equipped sales with CFO-ready two-slide packs quantifying ROI.

The results spoke for themselves:

• 30% increase in meeting conversion with treasury teams.
• Shorter sales cycles as CFO staff saw clear financial impacts upfront.
• Stronger multi-thread engagement, with IT and compliance entering conversations earlier.

By speaking the treasurer’s language, the vendor not only generated more interest but also accelerated consensus building across the buying group.

Bring it home

Treasurers are not persuaded by promises, they are persuaded by proof. They don’t need another abstract vision of “finance transformation.” They need to know, in clear numbers, how your solution will save basis points, improve STP, reduce rejects, and free up working capital.

For marketers, the path forward is clear:

• Anchor your message in treasury’s key metrics.
• Package evidence as portable, board-ready tools.
• Distribute through trusted channels like The Global Treasurer.

Do that, and you won’t just get noticed, you’ll get repeated in the rooms where the real buying decisions are made.