Have you ever wondered how to present a business case? It's really a sales pitch and it's all about knowing your decision makers (your customers). Using various tools and tactics, including a detailed stakeholder engagement plan, anyone can present an effective business case and get their idea approved with full buy-in.

1. The Case For Making
A Business Case
with Dave Macdonald, CMA
March 12th, 2013
Presentation for the
BC Legal Management Association
Monday, 18 March, 13 1

2. Agenda:
Building a Business Case
• Introduction
• Goals
• Influencing Your Decision Makers (Parts 1-4)
• Break
• Influencing Your Decision Makers (Part 5)
• Getting Your Plan Together (1 Part)
Monday, 18 March, 13 2

3. Introduction:
Why Dave Macdonald?
• Certified Management Accountant
since 2008
• Start-up and small business
management consultant since 2007
• Communications, marketing, and
social media consultant since 2010
Monday, 18 March, 13 3

4. Introduction:
What is today about?
• Know why the project needs to
happen.
• Know your decision-makers.
• Know your project’s outcomes.
• Know your project’s risks.
Photo modified and used under CC license Sean MacEntee.
Monday, 18 March, 13 4

5. Introduction:
Detailed Agenda
• Influencing Your Decision Makers:
1. Knowing Project Outcomes
2. Knowing the Investment
3. Knowing the Stakeholders
4. Aligning Perspectives
• Q&A
• Break
Monday, 18 March, 13 5

6. Introduction:
Detailed Agenda
• Influencing Your Decision Makers (cont’d):
5. Pre-sell The Plan & Collect Feedback
• Compiling The Business Case
• Q&A
Monday, 18 March, 13 6

7. Knowing Outcomes
Improve
Competencies
Efficienc
y
Marketing
Values
Monday, 18 March, 13 7

8. Knowing the Investment and
Return on Investment
• Implementation Costs (investment)
• *Revenue Generation (return)
• *Cost Savings (return)
Monday, 18 March, 13 8

9. Knowing the
“Relevant Costs”
New Option $600
}
Status Quo $190
250 $450
$105
-$5 $300
270 360
300
250 $150
2009 250
2010
2011 25 $0
2012
Communications Costs 2013
Monday, 18 March, 13 9

10. Defining the
“Relevant Costs”
• Costs the organization would not
otherwise incur
• “Relevance” is determined by the decision
makers
• The “cost” of a project is determined by
how far out you are able to measure
Monday, 18 March, 13 10

11. Knowing the
“Relevant Costs”
New Option Year 1: $600
Status Quo
$190
250 $450
Year 2:
$105 Year 3:
-$5 $300
270 360
300
250 $150
2009 250
2010
2011 25 $0
2012
Communications Costs 2013
Monday, 18 March, 13 11

12. Two Hidden
Costs/Savings
1. Salaried Labour Costs
2. Overhead Costs
Monday, 18 March, 13 12

13. The Double-Edged Sword of
Hidden Costs and Savings
“Great, let’s put “Awesome. We can
Saves on so&so to work
Labour reduce labour.”
on x.”
“Great, we can reduce
Saves on “Great, let’s use spending on z.”
Space, that resource
Overhead for y.” “We’re spending the
, Etc. money anyway so why
bother?”
Monday, 18 March, 13 13

14. Return on Investment
Review
• Know the Relevant Costs
• Know the Return on Investment Over
Several Periods
• Understand the Hidden Costs
Monday, 18 March, 13 14

15. Know the Decision Makers
Monday, 18 March, 13 15

16. Monday, 18 March, 13 16

17. Decision Maker
Monday, 18 March, 13 17

18. Decision Makers
Monday, 18 March, 13 18

19. Resource Strain
Cash Flow
Marketing
Information
Influencers
Sources
Municipal /
Provincial
Goings-on
Presentation
Leadership
Monday, 18 March, 13 19

20. Stakeholders
• Stakeholders vs Decision Makers
• Identify All Stakeholders
• Decision Makers
• End Users
• Vendors
• Ask: Is there enough overall push for this
project?
Monday, 18 March, 13 20

21. You
Decision
Maker(s)
Rest of
Company
Aligning Perspectives
Monday, 18 March, 13 21

22. Aligning Perspectives
• For whom do your key outcomes matter?
• Can you match your prospective outcomes
to decision makers and stakeholders?
• This is sales.
Monday, 18 March, 13 22

23. Pre-Selling &
Getting Feedback
• Engage all the stakeholders with a lot of
questions
• The types of questions are important
• People get bought-in when they feel
listened-to
• Multiple perspectives strengthen your
ability to make a business case
Monday, 18 March, 13 23

24. Questions for Pre-Selling &
Getting Feedback
• “How do you currently communicate with
colleagues and clients?”
• “Do you have frustrations when you do x?”
• “What does it mean for you to have
outdated information?”
• Find questions that reinforce your
prospective outcomes
Monday, 18 March, 13 24

25. Thank you!
http://www.yupana.ca
Dave Macdonald, CMA
e: dave@yupana.ca
p: 604-897-3351
Monday, 18 March, 13 25

26. Business Model Canvas
Monday, 18 March, 13 26

27. Photo Credits
• Slide 4: Modified and used under CC license from Sean MacEntee.
• Slide 7: Money. Modified and used under CC license from Tax Credits.
• Slide 7: Hockey Practice. Modified and used under CC license from GoonSquadSarah.
• Slide 7: Light Bulb. Modified and used under CC license from John Steven Fernandez.
• Slide 7: Recycling Containers. Modified and used under CC license from Soctech.
• Slide 7: Hertz Marketing. Modified and used under CC license from x-ray delta one.
• Slide 16. Hippo. Modified and used under CC license from DEMOSH.
• Slide 17. Enthusiastic Audience. Modified and used under CC license from bpsusf.
• Slide 18. Panel Interview. http://www.hrnasty.com.
Monday, 18 March, 13 27