By: Max Eisenberg
“I have a recommendation for a new marketing program I’m passionate about, but how do I get management’s approval?”
This scenario takes place often in the marketing world; you have great ideas and want to act on them, but don’t know how.
Overcoming this isn’t an easy task, and marketers often struggle with the feeling that pushing for their recommendation is not going to get them anywhere.
But there are ways to overcome this. And what marketers need to focus on is creating a business case to support the idea that highlights the ROI (Return on Investment) not only for the team, but the whole company.
Demonstrating potential ROI is an essential part of pitching any new marketing program or campaign. It informs stakeholders whether they’re properly using their available resources, and determines which strategies are most effective. Although ROI has obvious importance, presenting your recommendation and metrics to support this can be a challenge. Luckily, we have some tips to ease the pain and help you articulate the value of your proposed recommendation.
Create an Understandable Presentation with Data Points
There’s no place for ambiguity or lengthiness in your presentation. Management wants to know exactly what your recommendation entails, why you believe it will be impactful to the business, desired results, and how you plan to get there. Creating a presentation with too much filler will distract from your main points.
Our recommendation: Stick to tactics such as data visualization and short bullets to get your point across. Data visualization will allow management to see and understand patterns, and short bullets will keep the presentation concise. Include current metrics backed by a reputable source to support your plan.
Know Your Audience and Align Your Presentation to Business Goals
Even with the greatest presentation, it’s critical to understand whom you’re talking to and what holds their interest. In other words, speak their language. You can do this by creating objectives and success metrics based on what you believe management’s preferences are, as well as objectives that pertain to your business’s priorities. These objectives and metrics will show that you want to contribute to overall business goals and give a clear outline of your recommendation’s potential. Keep in mind that the findings could be baseline metrics for reporting on ROI.
Show Management You’ve Thought About All Potential Outcomes
Be prepared for everything!
Management will appreciate that you looked at all possible outcomes and that you have a game plan for any scenario. Presenting negatives can also spark conversation and engagement, allowing them to contribute their ideas and recommendations. These conversations can also strengthen the relationship with your management team and instill confidence in your talent and drive.
Leave Room for Adjustments
Your idea is never perfect. Ask for input from your peers and management team. Businesses and consumers change over time, and you must leave room for adjustments in order to optimize your strategy. Adjustments such as examining company costs or altering focus can be helpful. Presenting a rigid strategy doesn’t leave room for adjustments, and could lead to failure.
Remember, properly measuring and articulating your recommendation by tying it to ROI isn’t just critical when presenting to management, but sets the stage for success going forward.
Do you have experience with getting your recommendation approved? Tell us how you accomplished it on Twitter @QuattroPhilly.