Gain buy-in from the C-suite: how to influence the Boardroom

I see it as an important part of my job to ensure that my clients (mostly CMOs and some CEOs) have the tools to gain ‘buy-in’ from their Boardroom colleagues.

I attended a Panel Discussion recently, organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). The Panel consisted of a mix of client and agency-side professionals, all of whom had the need to achieve this buy-in. So it was very helpful and interesting to hear how they went about it, and the experiences they had had.

Their various tips for CMOs and Boardroom experiences can be summarised and simplified under a number of headings:

Commitment: if you don’t demonstrate commitment, it won’t fly in the Boardroom! It’s essential to involve the whole Board, so no-one is left out. Otherwise they will become your nemesis. Rope in the Chair too – they may have a huge influence, especially in an SME.

Clarity: you have to ensure everyone on the Board understands it. For example, the CFO, the COO and obviously the CEO. To do this you need to be able to speak the language of the non-marketing stakeholder – i.e. use their words, not yours.

Credibility: there has to be a match between the business KPIs and those of Marketing, otherwise buy-in is unlikely. ROI is paramount. Your commitment as a marketer must extend to all their stakeholder’s goals.

Creativity: be creative in your approach – build up knowledge in the Boardroom of what the Marketing Department does. Use charts and infographics. Ensure they see your advertisements, websites, posts and promotions before or as soon as the market does. Make them feel involved.

Trust: the more familiar the C-suite is with your marketing activities, issues, triumphs and vital statistics, the more they will accept your proposals and initiatives. This is a cultural transformation which requires a growth mindset in the Boardroom, not complacency. It comes with trust, which is only won by performing all the activities above.

Brand: develop your own personal brand so the C-suite recognises you for what you are. Someone who is going to drive their business forwards. To do this, you need to understand the culture of the Boardroom and gain acceptance as part of their team. You also need patience – it takes time. But get your personal brand right and you can speed up the process.

Evidence: get the research and use it to back your proposals. Avoid campaigns built on ‘gut instinct’ because your job will be on the line – and they know it so you’ll be in the firing line! Make a good business case for your proposals which will get over any personality issues. Be realistic and cautious – treat the budget as if it was your own money.

Investment: you must treat your initiatives as an investment, not a cost. So don’t follow every fashion—audit and analyze it first, so you can judge it on its merits. Avoid the Gartner ‘Hype Circle‘ – the Trough of Disillusionment – by managing their expectations and not overselling your ideas.

Summary

These points are all important ones and worth integrating into your thinking when you are talking at C-suite level or in the Boardroom. Gaining buy-in at this level is so important that you can’t just leave it to chance, reputation or personality.

With these ideas behind you, you can expect to be much more effective in your C-suite communications.