How do you negotiate with senior executives on business architecture?

1 Understand their needs

Before you approach any senior executive with your business architecture proposal, you need to understand their needs, challenges, and expectations. What are their pain points, priorities, and objectives? How do they measure success and value? What are their constraints and risks? Research their background, role, and agenda, and tailor your message accordingly. Use their language and terminology, and focus on the benefits and outcomes of your solution, not the features and details.

2 Build trust and rapport

Negotiating with senior executives requires building trust and rapport with them. You need to demonstrate your credibility, professionalism, and expertise, as well as your respect and empathy for their perspective. Establish common ground, show interest and curiosity, and listen actively to their concerns and feedback. Avoid being defensive, confrontational, or arrogant, and acknowledge their authority and influence. Use positive body language, tone, and gestures, and maintain eye contact and attention.

3 Present a clear and compelling case

When you present your business architecture proposal to senior executives, you need to make a clear and compelling case for why they should support it. You need to show how your solution aligns with their vision, goals, and capabilities, how it addresses their needs and challenges, and how it delivers value and impact. You need to use evidence, data, and examples to back up your claims, and highlight the risks and costs of not implementing your solution. You need to use simple, concise, and engaging language, and avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical details.

4 Anticipate and address objections

You should expect some objections and resistance from senior executives when you negotiate with them on business architecture. They may question your assumptions, methods, or results, or they may have competing interests, preferences, or agendas. You need to anticipate and address these objections proactively and respectfully. You need to prepare counterarguments, alternatives, and contingencies, and show how you can mitigate or resolve any issues or concerns. You need to be flexible, adaptable, and open to feedback, and seek to understand their point of view.

5 Ask for commitment and action

The final step in negotiating with senior executives on business architecture is to ask for their commitment and action. You need to be clear and specific about what you want them to do, how they can support you, and what the next steps are. You need to summarize the main points and benefits of your proposal, and emphasize the urgency and importance of acting on it. You need to use confident and assertive language, and avoid being vague, passive, or ambiguous. You need to thank them for their time and attention, and follow up with them until you get a response.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?