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Covering today
Why most business cases fail before the meeting starts
Preparing for the questions, not just the presentation
The framework I use before every executive presentation
Three mistakes that instantly weaken your credibility
How to win a business case
You don't win a business case because your slides look good.
You win because you've already answered the questions your audience hasn't asked yet.
Whether you're asking for budget, additional headcount, a process change or a new strategic initiative, every business case is competing for one thing:
Attention.
Executives don't have unlimited time, money or people. Every decision is a trade-off.
Your job isn't simply to present an idea.
It's to make saying yes feel like the obvious decision
Start with the problem, not the solution
One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is jumping straight into their recommendation.
"We need another person."
"We should invest in this platform."
"I think we should restructure the team."
But before anyone cares about your solution, they need to believe the problem is worth solving.
Build the tension first.
What's happening today?
What is the impact?
Who is affected?
What happens if nothing changes?
If your audience doesn't feel the cost of the current state, they'll never appreciate the value of your proposal.
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Know your audience better than your slides
Every executive enters the room with a different lens.
Finance wants to understand cost.
Operations wants to understand execution.
Sales wants to understand customer impact.
HR wants to understand people.
Your CEO wants to know whether this moves the business forward.
The best presenters don't deliver one presentation.
They tailor one message for several perspectives.
Before you build a single slide, ask yourself:
What does each stakeholder need to believe before they support this?
Prepare for the questions
The presentation is only half the meeting.
The discussion afterwards is where decisions are made.
Before every important presentation, I create a simple list.
What are the five toughest questions I could be asked?
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