How to Get Buy-In from Senior Management
BY IT GLUE | February 26, 2019
In your MSP, are the people who sign off on a new piece of software the same people who actually use the software on a day-to-day basis? On many teams, it’s the technical staff who have their ears to the ground and make a point to keep themselves up to date on the latest and greatest tech. So what do you do when you’ve found the perfect solution to your woes, and you need to get senior management or ownership to sign off on it? We’ve taken a look at this exact situation and found a few different strategies that have proven to be effective.
Make sure they understand your pain
You want the new tool because it solves a problem that you have. While it’s natural to assume that the decision-maker is aware of your problem, do not take that for granted. Before you get to the part where you present your solution, make sure that the decision-maker is aware of the problems you are facing. This should help open them up to potential solutions.
Make sure you understand their pain
Everybody running an MSP has pain points. They’re going to be much more receptive to a solution that resolves some of those, than to spending money on a solution that doesn’t solve their problems. A solution that is great for you because it helps solve tickets faster might not resonate unless you frame it in relation to the decision maker’s pain points.
For example, show how solving tickets faster means your team can service more customers, allowing the company to grow. Remember – even if you only vaguely understand the boss’ pain points, it’s probably going to relate either to time or money.
Show how the tool aligns operationally
The SaaS world is full of standalone solutions, and in many cases these specialist tools can turn into a Frankenstack if you’re not careful. Owners are naturally wary about paying for a bunch of things that aren’t used much. If you can show that the tool you’re proposing integrates with the other parts of your stack and is something that will be used every day, or better yet all day, it makes for a better value proposition.
Show how the tool aligns strategically
MSP CEOs don’t always lose sleep over operational details. Sometimes they have the bigger picture in mind. If you can frame the new software in terms of that bigger picture, all the better. Does the boss want to grow the company? Explain why the software will help with that. Does the boss want to sell the business and retire in a couple of years? Figure out how the software helps make that happen. Showing strategic alignment is a good way to make a compelling argument.
It’s all about value
We recommend being realistic about the value that a tool brings. A careful analysis of the different features, and use cases, will help to put some approximate numbers to an investment. For example, if IT Glue cuts time waste from 20% to 10% for your techs, you can put a number to that. Build in all the other benefits, and you’ll be able to make an estimate for the return on investment. If there’s one thing owners love, it’s when you take the time to run the numbers and show the value of what you’re proposing.
Obviously, each person is different and each business is unique. That’s why we suggest looking at a few different approaches to getting senior management or ownership to sign off on a new piece of tech. What resonates with the owner might not resonate with the accountant, after all. What you’ll find, most likely, is that putting together a comprehensive argument that comes from multiple angles will also allow you to make sure that the investment is a good one, and might even open your eyes to different uses for the software that will increase its value.
To learn what IT Glue can do to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your teams, sign up for a demo or get in touch with your Account Manager.
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