Often getting the approval of the entire C-suite starts by bringing just a couple of members on your side. Floating the idea with them early and informally, and working to get at least one or two executives to sponsor the project with you will increase your chances of a successful outcome. Just make sure you consider what their goals are and how an investment might help move their department forward.
Talking to different senior executives before even researching your software choices will also give you a better idea of the areas that are lacking within the organization. They know the key business metrics better than anyone and regularly discuss issues with their teams. After all, building a business case is a collaborative process.
So how do you identify which stakeholders to approach first?
Think about who’s most likely to be concerned about the problems you’re looking to fix: