5 ways to convince business leaders your tech project deserves funding

Technology is more important to organizations than ever — and high-profile innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning mean investment in IT is only going one way: upwards. Tech analyst IDC says worldwide digital transformation spending will reach almost $4 trillion in 2027. 

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However, while companies continue to spend big money on digital transformation, not every project will receive funding. If you want to get people to buy into your innovative idea, how can you successfully communicate the benefits of technology? 

Five business leaders give us their best tips for impressing senior leadership and other professionals with their project ideas: 

1. Anchor your message

Claire Thompson, group chief data and analytics officer at financial service firm L&G, said a great way to get people to understand a project is to tie the benefits into business strategy.”You’ve got to be clear about how the things you’re proposing will help the organization and its people,” she said. Thompson said it’s important to understand that one simple message won’t resonate with everyone.

Being clear on strategic aims is crucial, but empathy with individual requirements also matters.”You need to try and anchor your message back into some core, overarching themes across the organization,” she said.”But the way a project gets implemented, or the focus each area of the business will have, will be different.”

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Thompson built on that advice by referring to how her team communicates the benefits of data initiatives across L&G.

“What finance will want from data will differ from what risk wants or our retail business or asset management division,” she said. It’s then about tailoring the story — showing how a new technology project, for example, ties into the broader business strategy and leads to benefits for each function. “Listen to what stakeholders need and focus on the challenges they need to overcome.”

2. Tailor your communication

Ankur Anand, CIO at Nash Squared explained that most people know the value of technology in a “big picture way.” However, their vision of technology often gets muddied by the complexities of implementation and the cultural challenges of adopting a new way of working.

“In short, people can see the logic in their heads, but in their hearts, they can feel that change is hard. And they have a day job to get on with, too,” he said.

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Anand told ZDNET how a recent Harvey Nash study found technology professionals see strong communication skills as the most important factor for a great future leader.

“Keeping people focused on the simple, real benefits of technology isn’t seen as a problem, but rather a key part of the job description,” he said. Anand said successful professionals champion any new technology and demonstrate its value. Establishing a strong team of change champions across the organization can drive adoption and ensure consistent messaging.

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“Tailor your communication to highlight ‘what’s in it for me’ for employees and clients, emphasizing direct benefits and improvements,” he said. “Use clear, jargon-free language, and leverage visual aids like infographics and demos to make complex concepts more accessible.”Once a project rollout begins, Anand said an investment in learning capabilities can help enhance the understanding of technology around the business and boost engagement.

“Additionally, seeking continuous feedback from these teams can help address any friction in adoption and enhance overall capabilities,” he said.

3. Give people what they want

Nick Woods, CIO at MAG Airports Group, said he recently spoke about the importance of selling a project to his IT leadership team in a training session, and his key message was straightforward.

“You’ve got to show people what’s in it for them,” he told ZDNET. “Successful communication is talking about the things that matter to the user group you speak with. What motivates the managing director differs from what motivates the people on the ground using the service.”

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He gave the example of introducing a new rostering system as part of his digital transformation program at MAG.

“We’ve digitized how staff get their shifts and how they ask for shift swaps to book their holidays, which was previously a paper-based process in many cases.”The benefits for the airport group are optimized operations, better work practices, and improved resource allocation.

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However, these benefits wouldn’t necessarily resonate with staff used to paper-based processes. So, Woods focused on personal benefits rather than business value.

“The wins for staff are more predictable rosters, a better way to do shift swaps, a better way to book and see their holidays, and an easier way to manage their lives,” he said.”That’s what they wanted. And that’s what they get from the technology.”

4. Take a visual approach

Niall Robinson, head of product innovation at the Met Office, the UK’s national weather and climate service, is another business leader who recognizes that each stakeholder has individual requirements, and successful communicators will address those needs.

Robinson said his number one tip is to create a proof of concept: “Seeing is believing.” He told ZDNET he’s often amazed at the success rate of that visual approach. He gave the example of a video he used to demonstrate to stakeholders the potential benefits of an investment in Snowflake technology.

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“They created what I describe as a ‘sizzle reel,'” he said. “I could use video to show the benefits of the technology in less than 60 seconds.” The approach helped Robinson to gain funding for the project earlier this year. The Met Office is now using the Snowflake Marketplace to push out platforms and products.

Robinson said the lesson for other business leaders is that a visual approach can help people communicate the complexities of bits and bytes.

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“I know they’ll find the time to watch a short video, and it gives them a flavor of what’s happening,” he said.

“It’s about giving stakeholders a sense of the art of the possible and showing them something they can see with their eyes rather than describing it in words. Throughout my career, that approach has been useful.”

5. Make dreams real

Sasha Jory, CIO at insurance firm Hastings Direct, said you need to be able to step confidently out of the IT department and interact with other lines of business on their terms. “It’s no good being a technologist who can draft stories and talk about fantastic visions if you can’t make those dreams real for people,” she said.

Jory said IT professionals need to be good change agents, and they also need to be able to talk in straightforward language so that people from other departments can join them on their digital transformation journey.

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She encouraged people trying to communicate the benefits of technology to paint a picture in small, bite-sized pieces.”You need to accept that as excited as technologists get about IT systems and services, not every technology suits your organization,” she said.

“It’s great to say, ‘Oh, I’ve got this great application and this nice piece of hardware.’ However, complexity is the devil. So, focus on simplicity and straightforwardness, tell the story, use the right technology for the business challenge, and deliver, deliver, deliver.”