HBR guide to building your business case /
Raymond Sheen with Amy Gallo.
- Boston, Massachusetts : Harvard Business Review Press, 2015
- xv, 149 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Includes index.
Introduction : success is enabling a wise decision Prepare. Know the basics of making a case ; Learn how your company evaluates cases Get to know your audience. Figure out who's calling the shots ; Understand your audience's objectives Build the case. Clarify the need ; Build a cross-functional team ; Consider alternatives ; Think through the 'how' at a high level Crunch the numbers. Estimate costs and benefits ; Calculate ROI ; Account for risks Present your case and move forward. Prepare your document ; Shop you case around ; Are you ready to present? ; Make your pitch ; Get to a decision ; What next? Appendix A : avoid common mistakes Appendix B : How to give a killer presentation / by Chris Anderson, Ted Curator. Machine generated contents note: Success is enabling a wise decision Section 1 PREPARE 1.Know the Basics of Making a Case You're telling a story about how to meet a business need 2.Learn How Your Company Evaluates Cases Seek counsel from those who know what will fly Section 2 GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE 3.Figure Out Who's Calling the Shots Who really has the authority to give your project the green light? 4.Understand Your Audience's Objectives Find out what your stakeholders care about Section 3 BUILD THE CASE 5.Clarify the Need What pain are you trying to alleviate? What opportunity are you pursuing? 6.Build a Cross-Functional Team You need multiple perspectives to find the right solution 7.Consider Alternatives The tough part is ruling out options 8.Think Through the "How" at a High Level Pave the way for realistic estimates Section 4 CRUNCH THE NUMBERS 9.Estimate Costs and Benefits Contents note continued: Peg them to categories in your company's P&L 10.Calculate ROI Spreadsheets make it fairly painless 11.Account for Risks Weigh the "what ifs" Section 5 PRESENT YOUR CASE AND MOVE FORWARD 12.Prepare Your Document Summarize your story and support it with data 13.Shop Your Case Around Drum up support before decision time 14.Are You Ready to Present? Use this brief checklist to make sure you've covered all the bases 15.Make Your Pitch Appeal directly to decision makers 16.Get to a Decision "Yes" is meaningless unless stakeholders commit resources 17.What Next? Get started, even if it means heading back to the drawing board.
You've got a great idea that will increase revenue or productivity--but how do you get approval to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows its value. Maybe you struggle to win support for projects because you're not sure what kind of data your stakeholders will trust, or naysayers always seem to shoot your ideas down at the last minute. Or perhaps you're intimidated by analysis and number crunching, so you just take a stab at estimating costs and benefits, with little confidence in your accuracy. To get any idea off the ground at your company you'll have to make a strong case for it. This guide gives you the tools to do that
9781633690028
Business planning. Strategic planning.
New business enterprises -- Planning. Business Communication Meetings & Presentations.