Why CFOs Don’t Buy Into IT Managers’ Next Big Ideas

Years back, I had this big idea that I strongly believed in and felt that it could be a game-changer for my employer. I had everything down. The design. The prototype. The user experience. The hockey stick graph. The customer persona. The target market. The strategy. However, knowing my CFO from my experience, I felt nervous about pitching. I often heard these voices in my head that CFOs don’t believe in big ideas. Their role is to shut them down.

Over the years, as I participated in thousands of meetings with a variety of financial executives, I’ve come to understand that they are one of the best people to pitch to as they can’t afford to be biased in their role. We just need to know what they care for. I am pretty sure you have felt the same. As an IT manager, you may have been thinking of replacing that 20-year-old legacy ERP with a modern cloud-based ERP system, but not sure if you feel confident enough to talk to your management. Read on to learn the things CFOs or executives look for when you pitch to them.

Have you had similar experiences? If yes, what were your learnings? Do you agree with the approach outlined on the link? If not, share your insight below. If yes, just comment that you agree. Are there any other strategies you recommend to get CFOs' attention? If you are a CFO or executive yourself, what do you like to see in pitches?

Once you are done reading the main article, whatever you feel, please share your thoughts in the comment section there or below. Looking forward to chatting with you in the comment section!