The Angus & Pete Show CX Podcast

S2 Ep 6 | Change F - F - F - Freeze

Welcome to Series 2, Episode 6! Angus and Pete explore the dreaded Change Freeze, a vital IT strategy often implemented during peak periods like Christmas. The discussion was prompted by a listener who had a travel nightmare due to a systems upgrade that went wrong during the busiest time of the year. The hosts delve into what the freeze is, why it's critical for service stability, and how poor planning can lead to the infamous "mad dash" effect.
Here are the key show notes from the discussion:
• The Purpose of a Change Freeze: A change freeze is a predefined period where non-essential changes to systems are halted, acting as a safeguard for system integrity and availability. This is critical during periods of massive demand, such as Christmas, when high operational demands coincide with limited staff availability.
• The Risk of the "Mad Dash": A disadvantage of long freezes is the "mad dash effect," where teams rush to cram everything in beforehand. This pressure can lead to poor decisions and mistakes, inadvertently introducing the bugs that the freeze was intended to prevent.
• Planning and Communication are Key: To prevent chaos, planning must start early—around June or July for Christmas—ensuring all stakeholders are aware, including customer service leadership. Clear, simple, non-technical language should be used to communicate key dates and expectations.
• Prioritizing the Customer: Companies should be transparent with customers about issues, using banner notices or updated holding messages, as transparency can make people "far more willing to work with you". Stable, protected systems allow agents to focus on complex, high-emotion issues and turn problems into "nice experiences".
• Measuring True Success: Success criteria for a freeze should not rely solely on meaningless metrics like system uptime. Instead, organizations must focus on customer experience metrics like First Contact Resolution (FCR), Customer Effort Scores, and customer complaints, which truly reflect the outcome of the stability effort.

S2 Ep 5 | CX Insider: Rich on Product Management

This episode features CX Insider Rich, a Commercial and Strategy Product Manager, who details his demanding role. He argues that solid process trumps technology and criticizes the industry’s focus on building complex "Swiss Army knives" without ensuring they are consumable and adopted. Rich also highlights the extreme difficulty of building viable business cases amidst the risky, unclear pass-through charging models for AI.
 
Key takeaways:
 
• Process Trumps Technology: Product success relies on having the People, Systems, and Process (PSP) in place, with the process being much more important than the technology itself. Companies must ensure they can sell, support, and bill for a product before taking it to market.
• The Adoption Focus: The industry emphasis must shift away from simply deploying products to ensuring they are adopted and used. Vendors often miss this critical step by focusing solely on the initial sale, building capability without sufficient thought to real-life use.
• The AI Pricing Risk: Current AI models often use pass-through charging, which Rich views as lazy product management. This practice creates an undefined and unacceptable financial risk for businesses, making it nearly impossible to build predictable and justifiable business cases.
• Knowledge Velocity Problem: The exponential speed of technological change (products changing twice a week) creates a knowledge velocity problem and a deficit of genuine experts. Vendors must educate buyers by articulating clear, real-life use cases or scenarios, not just features.
• Keep It Simple: Vendors must stop over-complicating things and focus on clarity and simplicity. Rich notes that if a vendor cannot clearly explain a complex product to him—an experienced product manager—they cannot expect him to successfully explain it to internal stakeholders or customers.

S2 Ep 4 | News Beat: December 2025

This episode of The Angus and Pete Show reviewed the recent CC Expo and tackled two major press articles concerning the state of AI adoption in the industry. The core discussion centred on the acknowledgment of the "hype" surrounding AI, the necessity of delivering real business value, and the critical importance of moving contact centres from perceived cost burdens to recognized revenue generators. The hosts emphasized that while AI offers immense potential for efficiency and new data insights, poor execution and a failure to address foundational business process issues will guarantee failure.
 
Here are the key show notes from the discussion:
 
• Focusing Beyond the Hype: While the CC Expo strongly featured AI, omnichannel engagement, and agent productivity, vendors acknowledged the significant "hype" around the technology. Demos were often focused on narrow use cases and aimed at achieving efficiency and cost-saving, with "very little about the customer experience".
• The Shift to Outcome Metrics: Organizations are increasingly redefining contact centres as potential revenue engines. Traditional efficiency metrics (like AHT) are being replaced by outcome-based metrics, such as customer retention, selling success, and customer lifetime value, reflecting a massive change in business focus.
• Unlocking the Data Goldmine: AI provides 100% real-time analysis of all consumer interactions, turning conversations and activities into "actionable insights". This high level of accuracy enables instant fraud detection and the ability to spot opportunities for product innovation.
• ROI Requires Proper Implementation: Companies with successful AI implementations report high returns (up to 3.5 times investment), supported by tangible metrics like a 14% increase in issue resolution per hour. However, only 25% of contact centres have successfully integrated AI automation, often due to poor execution.
• The Need for Strategic Rethink: Success comes only when businesses commit to transformational thinking, not by simply applying AI to "old broken processes". Those who hesitate or fail to move past small-scale pilot projects risk losing competitive ground very quickly.

S2 Ep 3 | It's Not About the Tech, Stupid!

In this episode of the Angus and Pete Show, we talk about customer engagement and the painful disconnect many people feel when dealing with companies. Drawing on reports from Contact Babel, we discuss why technology alone can't fix customer experience. The real secret is empathy and focusing on core customer needs: speed, convenience, and the human touch. We also look at the massive financial stakes—great service earns a premium, but one bad interaction can make a customer walk away fast.
### Key Takeaways
*   *Prioritize the fundamentals.* Speed, convenience, and friendly service are non-negotiable must-dos for a great experience. Focus investment on technologies that support these benefits, not just on cutting costs.*   *The human touch matters most.* Customers overwhelmingly want interaction with a real person, especially when things go wrong. AI should be used to augment agents—giving them tools and insights to enhance empathy and compassion—not to automate the relationship away.*   *The stakes are high.* Great service allows businesses to charge a price premium, potentially up to 16%. But failure is costly: 32% of customers globally will abandon a beloved brand after just one bad experience.

S2 Ep 2 | CX Insider: Uncle Ken on the Experience of Experience

Angus, Pete, and the highly experienced Uncle Ken, provide a sharp critique of the current state of the CX and Contact Centre industry. The key takeaway is that the constant "noise and burbling about artificial intelligence" is causing fragmentation and distracting the industry from crucial basics. The hosts and Ken conclude that high turnover among contact centre managers, combined with sellers who have lost foundational knowledge, necessitates an urgent re-education process across the industry.
 
Here are the concise takeaways:
 
• Boomers Are Not Anti-Digital: Older customers (boomers) are highly digital. If they use the telephone, it's because they are "unforgiving" and frustrated by digital channels that fail or offer bad service, proving that high expectations drive channel choice, not age.
 
• AI Hype Focuses on Costs: AI implementations are often "siloed" and appear primarily driven by achieving "cost cutting and efficiency" for the business, rather than delivering actual benefits or a better experience for the customer.
 
• Don't Automate the Mess: The hype around AI has "hijacked the finishing off of the digital first story". Implementing AI before sorting out basic digital channels and data only results in technology being "very analytical and very automatic with the mess that you've already got," which makes things worse.
 
• Outbound Tech Remains Valuable: While outbound calling (just dialing a list of people) is "dying on its feet," the underlying technology remains highly useful for improving customer experience (CX) and efficiency. Examples include using call-back systems (like Qbuster) or sending pre-call texts to alert customers to an incoming call.
 
• Seller Knowledge Deficit: The industry suffers from a lack of fundamental knowledge, exacerbated by contact centre manager tenure decreasing to about 2.5 years. Sellers who claim to be experts are often "not worthy of the badge" and must step up to educate buyers and "sense-check" RFPs.
 
• Measure the Fundamentals: Sellers must be able to understand and apply basic contact centre mathematics, such as Erlang for voice and Little's law for digital channels, to accurately build Return on Investment (ROI) models. New technology will "fail" the consumer if it is not developed with the fundamental ability to "measure and manage what's going on".

S2 Ep 1 | Here We Go Again! A is for . . .

Welcome back to The Angus and Pete Show for Series 2.
Angus and Pete tackle "A is for Adoption" in this episode. Everyone's building or buying contact center tech, but driving user adoption is the hard part. They discuss why many deployments fail: it’s not just tech, it’s organizational change, managerial vision, and employee willingness. We need to focus on Time to Value (TtV), which means delivering tangible business benefits quickly. The job starts, not finishes, at deployment. And remember, you must tell the users what’s in it for them. They also explore key paradoxes like the required hybrid approach to automation versus human touch.
Key Takeaways
Adoption is now a *strategic business imperative*, not just a function you tack on at the end of a project.
When deploying new technology, you have to prioritize *Time to Value* (TtV)—get users to an "aha moment" early on—and measure business outcomes, not just basic activities like agent logins.
Training shouldn't be a box-checking exercise; it should be *continuous education* focused on explaining the overall desired outcome and what benefit the new system offers to the people using it.

S1 Ep 35 | S1 Recap: AI AI AI ... Oh!

In this recap, Angus and Pete look at the real story behind AI in the world of customer engagement. They discuss a study that found AI isn’t taking jobs but is creating new tasks for workers. The conversation also covers how AI is changing the way we measure customer service. It’s becoming less about speed and more about making things easy for the customer. They finish by talking about the often-overlooked costs and risks, from data quality and compliance to the environmental impact of AI.
Here are five things you will learn from the episode:
AI isn't taking jobs in customer service yet. Right now, it’s more about helping people be more effective and efficient, rather than replacing them.
Benefits depend on company support. You only see real time savings and quality improvements when employers actively train and encourage their staff to use AI as part of their daily work.
Metrics are changing. Customer experience is evolving, and new measures like customer effort score and sentiment analysis are becoming more important.
There are significant hidden costs and risks. You have to consider platform costs, implementation, data quality, compliance, and environmental impact to see the full picture.
It’s a strategic shift, not a simple tech fix. For AI to work, it requires a cultural change within the organisation. Everyone is still learning, so honest conversations are important.

S1 Ep 34 | S1 Recap: Boardroom Blunders

In this recap of season one, Angus and Pete explore why a seemingly perfect sales proposal can get rejected at the final hurdle: the boardroom. They discuss the common pitfalls sellers face and offer a guide on how to equip your internal champions to successfully navigate the C-suite, especially the CFO.
The Champion's Dilemma: Never assume your internal champion can effectively sell your solution to their board. Buyers often have little to no experience presenting business cases, so as a seller, it's crucial to coach and prepare them. Consider working with multiple champions to get a triangulated view of the organisation's priorities.
Speak the Board's Language: Executives are laser-focused on the bottom line and want absolute clarity. The pitch must be concise, covering the problem you're solving, the cost of inaction, and your solution in simple terms. Use the company's own data to make your case, as generic case studies won't resonate.
Know Your Audience: Understand the different priorities within the C-suite. The CFO is focused on financial impact and investment, while the CEO cares more about strategic alignment. Be aware of other influencers, including non-executive directors who may sit on multiple boards.
Master the Financials: For the CFO, price isn't everything; being the cheapest can even be a red flag. Your champion must be prepared to discuss Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), payback periods (ideally under three years), and potential bill shock from usage-based models. Be precise with financial terms like ROI versus cost savings.
Address Risk Head-On: Boards are risk-averse, so proactively address financial, operational, and execution risks. Remember to factor in opportunity cost—what the business can't do if it chooses your project. Emphasise how your solution minimises both business risk and the personal risk to board members' reputations.
Prepare and Role-Play: Support your champions by helping them prepare a concise, one-page summary of the business case. Role-play the board presentation with them to build confidence and anticipate objections like "it's too expensive" or "the current system is fine". This preparation ensures they can deliver a quick, punchy, and compelling message.

S1 Ep 33 | S1 Recap: The Great Analyst Debate

We revisit our conversations on customer engagement, CX, and industry analysts. We focus the first of our CX Insider guests, Steve, a former Gartner analyst. He shared his views on the real purpose of analysts, the work behind Magic Quadrants, and how analyst events have changed. Steve's "three wishes" give great advice for the CX industry and beyond. We reinforce that bringing people and operations together is vital for seamless customer journeys.
Here are three things we learned:
Analysts, especially at big firms like Gartner, primarily focus on helping end-user clients spend their money wisely, not just serving vendors.
Creating seamless customer journeys depends on the convergence of people and operations. Technology isn't the main blocker; internal silos and personal agendas are.
Industry reports, such as Gartner's Magic Quadrant, are often out of date by the time they are published. The lengthy production process means they can be "ancient history" in today's fast-moving market.

S1 Ep 32 | S1 Recap: Taming the RFP Monster

Angus and Pete revisit their "RFP Trilogy" (Episodes 5–7) with bonus insights from CX6 insider Terry (Episode 21).
RFPs in a Nutshell:RFPs are structured buying processes designed for transparency, competition, and clarity.
For Buyers:
You’re selling too—make the opportunity attractive.
Set clear goals, engage stakeholders, and publish evaluation criteria.
Communicate well and stick to timelines.
For Sellers:
RFPs are costly (£30k per bid) and win rates are low (often under 10%).
Default to "no bid" unless it’s a strong fit.
Cold RFPs rarely convert.
Terry’s Four RFP Types: Full and Fair, Not So Open, Fantasy Shoppers, Free Consultancy.
Use BLUF—answer clearly and early; focus your summary on requirements, price, and value.
Price often decides—be competitive.
Be honest; fake social value is just a hidden discount.
RFPs aren't going away—but with structure and realism, they can work for everyone.

S1 Ep 31 | S1 Recap: What CX Buyers Want

In the first of the Season 1 recaps, Angus and Pete reveal what CX buyers really want and how to stand out in the riveting world of customer engagement sales. Learn to focus on the buyer's journey, not your own sales process. Simplify your message by offering clear recommendations and limiting options, as too many choices lead to confusion. Use compelling stories instead of bullet points to help buyers visualize solutions. Tailor product demos to the audience and buying stage, showing what truly matters. Crucially, reduce buyer risk and anxiety to overcome apathy and secure the sale.
Here are 5 key takeaways:
• Prioritise the buyer's process.• Offer clear recommendations, limit options.• Tell relatable stories, avoid bullet points.• Tailor demos to the audience and buying stage.• Reduce buyer risk and anxiety.

S1 Ep 30 | The Whistlestop Tour

Welcome to Episode 30 of The Angus and Pete Show. This special episode serves as a comprehensive recap of the first 29 episodes.
The idea was inspired by avid listener Cyrille from Nairobi, who found episode recaps useful for weekly podcasts to revisit content or catch up on missed episodes. Finding their own back catalogue "heavy going," Angus and Pete enlisted their friendly AI assistant to summarise their journey so far, providing quick rundowns and reasons to revisit specific segments.
Key themes covered across the first 29 episodes include:
Analysts & Industry Evolution: Understanding the influential, yet often opaque, role of analysts like Gartner, and the history and jargon of the CX industry.
AI: Explored across multiple episodes, focusing on business value over technical jargon, hybrid human-AI collaboration, personalisation, ethics, sustainability, cost of ownership, and early findings on savings and workforce impact.
RFPs & Sales Strategy: A multi-part series on running effective Request for Proposal processes for buyers, and crafting high-quality, honest proposals for sellers.
Building a Practice & Go-to-Market: Advice for sellers and resellers on transitioning to cloud solutions, choosing partners, and aligning product, marketing, and sales for consistent messaging and successful launches.
EMEA & Cultural Nuances: Highlighting that EMEA is not a single market, emphasising the need for country-specific research, local trust, and understanding cultural impacts on business.
Boardroom & Business Cases: Discussions on why business cases are rejected, equipping champions with financial metrics, and understanding CFO and board priorities like strategic alignment, ROI, TCO, and risk mitigation over short-term gains.
Customer Interaction: Covering effective discovery, making pitches stand out, demonstration types, and the evolving role of outbound contact with a shift towards messaging and the concept of "Uber agents".
Proposition & Sales Engineers: Defining the difference between brand, product, and proposition, and the crucial role of sales engineers in selling product value.
Angus and Pete hope this overview encourages listeners to re-immerse themselves in the show. Don't forget to follow The Angus and Pete Show page on LinkedIn and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

S1 Ep 29 | News Beat: June 2025

In this episode, your hosts Angus Peacey and Pete Brown delve into three compelling news articles from 10th June, exploring the dynamic interplay between humans and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in customer service, contact centres, and customer experience (CX)
News Topics Dissected:
The Human Touch in AI Assistants: Drawing on an article from Fast Company titled "AI Assistants Still Need a Human Touch" by Alexander Kosavan, we explore why AI, despite its advancements, still struggles with understanding user context and intent.
Gartner's Prediction: AI and Workforce Reduction: We dissect a thought-provoking Gartner article predicting that 50% of organisations will abandon plans to reduce their customer service workforce due to AI.
Tackling High Agent Turnover in Contact Centres: Based on an article from customerthink.com by Wailios Aaron Batsis, this discussion confronts the persistent problem of high staff turnover in contact centres.
 
Tune in to discover the hosts' "biting judgment and unpopular opinions" on these pressing topics, and gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of customer engagement.
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Key Takeaways for Listeners:
AI Needs a Human-Centric Approach: AI, in its current state, often struggles with context and emotional intelligence. While it can be useful for tailoring content, over-personalisation can be counterproductive or creepy.
AI is Not a Panacea; Human Touch Remains Critical: Many organisations are re-evaluating their plans to replace human agents with AI. The focus is shifting to how AI can support and enhance human capabilities, rather than eliminate them, as trust is paramount in customer service.
Embrace the Hybrid Model for Best Results: The most effective way to deliver a good customer experience is through a hybrid model that combines AI with human agents. AI should act as a complement to humans, not a replacement, aiding efficiency and accuracy while humans provide empathy.
"Digital First, Not Digital Only" is Key: Before attempting to implement AI, organisations must establish a strong foundation of clear digital journeys and channels. AI should be integrated strategically into this existing digital framework, not seen as a prerequisite for going digital.
Re-evaluate Traditional Contact Centre Staffing Models: The current model for contact centre staffing is flawed, leading to high turnover and high costs. Exploring cultural changes, freelance models, and flexible hybrid working options can improve agent satisfaction, reduce churn, and potentially enhance service quality.
AI Can Support Freelance Agents: If considering a freelance agent model, AI can play a crucial role in providing the consistency and depth of knowledge that might otherwise be a concern with independent agents.

S1 Ep 28 | CX Insider: Vinay on CX in the Boardroom

Join us for an exclusive deep dive with CX Insider Vinay Parmar, Managing Director of Customer Whisperers Ltd, as he shares invaluable insights from his journey from contact centre agent to board-level executive. Discover the stark realities of how customer experience plays out in the boardroom and learn what truly resonates with senior leadership. This episode offers a candid look at bridging the gap between sales and strategic decision-making.
Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Vinay:
• Lived experience is incredibly valuable for leaders as it fosters empathy and enables a deeper understanding of frontline operations, helping to challenge narratives from the top.• Customer Experience (CX) encompasses all customer touchpoints, forming collective memories that drive future decisions, extending far beyond typical customer service or contact centre metrics.• Inconsistency in customer interactions significantly erodes trust and loyalty, impacting a brand's reputation and future business relationships.• Boards fundamentally prioritise risk and reward, focusing on increasing revenue, reducing costs, and ensuring regulatory compliance when evaluating initiatives.• Effective selling to the boardroom requires active listening, thorough research into specific problems, and presenting solutions with utmost simplicity, avoiding generic pitches or complex technical jargon.
If you want to find out more about Vinay or contact him, go to his website: https://customerwhisperers.com/

S1 Ep 27 | GTM? Who's Job is it Anyway?

Curious how software products successfully reach customers? Episode 27 of The Angus and Pete Show tackles a listener's dilemma: defining the different go-to-market roles in a software vendor. Angus and Pete break down key functions, from product strategy and channel partnerships to sales enablement, especially for SaaS products with reseller channels. Learn why clear ownership, consistent messaging, and strong enablement are crucial to avoid chaos and drive market success.
Takeaways from this episode:
Product is the Foundational Role: The Product House defines the product, its market fit, features, packaging, pricing strategy, and even operational elements like billing and order processing.
Channel Strategy is Critical for Market Entry and Scale: The Channel organisation owns the route to market through partners, focusing on segmentation, recruitment, enablement, and financial incentives like spiffs and market development funds.
Sales Enablement Bridges the Gap: A defined sales enablement function translates product and marketing material into actionable insights for both internal sales teams and external reseller partners, ensuring consistent and efficient communication.
Consistent Messaging is Non-Negotiable: All teams, internal and external, must deliver a unified message, with the proposition "nailed up front," to avoid buyer confusion or exploitation of inconsistencies.
Authoritative Cross-Functional Ownership is Paramount: Success hinges on clear, authoritative owners in the Product House, Channel organisation, and Sales, who must collaborate seamlessly due to their fundamental interdependencies.

S1 Ep 26 | It's the Proposition, Stupid!

In this episode, Angus and Pete focus on the significance of sales propositions, brand perception, and the shift from product-centric to proposition-centric strategies. They discuss how understanding the differences between brand, product, and proposition can enhance marketing efforts and drive sales. The conversation emphasizes the importance of crafting compelling propositions that resonate with buyers and differentiate offerings in a crowded market.
Takeaways
Understand the difference between brand, product, and proposition.
Buyers are focused on their own problems, not on your product specs.
Differentiating is key to competitive advantage.
Use the right language for your audience at the right time.
A strong proposition is essential for effective selling.
A good proposition gives you strategic differentiation.
Crafting effective propositions is challenging but necessary.
Focus on the customer’s needs, not just product features.
Keywords
customer engagement, sales proposition, brand, product, customer experience, differentiation, marketing strategy, contact center, CX, value proposition

S1 Ep 25 | CX Insider: Phil on Sales Engineers

In this episode, Angus and Pete talk to Phil about his extensive experience in sales engineering. He emphasizes the evolution of the sales engineer's role, the importance of understanding customer needs, and the critical nature of collaboration with product management. The conversation also covers the significance of demos, navigating RFPs, and the training and development of sales engineers. Phil shares valuable insights and pearls of wisdom for those in the sales engineering field.
Takeaways
Understanding customer needs is crucial for effective sales.
Demos should be tailored to the customer's specific requirements.
Building relationships with customers is key to success.
Collaboration with sellers and product management is vital for sales engineers.
Training and developing sales engineers is an ongoing process.
Listening and asking the right questions can lead to better outcomes.
The sales engineering landscape is changing with the introduction of new technologies.
Keywords
customer engagement, sales engineering, demos, RFPs, product management, training, sales relationships, customer needs, sales process, technology

S1 Ep 24 | The Outbound Odyssey

In this episode, Angus and Pete discuss the evolution and current state of dialers in CX and contact centers. They cover a bit of background, the various modes of dialing, the impact of digital channels on customer communication, and the integration of outbound voice and digital strategies to enhance customer experience. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding regulations and the need for a seamless customer journey across different communication channels.
Takeaways
Dialers are still very relevant in customer engagement strategies.
Digital channels are becoming the default for customer interactions.
Asynchronous message channels see higher engagement rates than voice calls.
Voice communication remains the go-to for urgent matters.
It’s not about “what channel?”, but “how do you use them all together?"
Successful outbound uses a digital first approach
Digital channels + outbound voice could make the inbound CC obsolete.
Keywords
Customer Engagement, Dialler, Dialers, Digital Channels, Customer Experience, Outbound Calls, Predictive Dialling, Dialing, Voice Communication, Asynchronous Messaging, Customer Satisfaction, CX

S1 Ep 23 | AI Business Benefit: Is it Here Yet?

In this episode, Angus and Pete look at the impact AI is really having on the CX industry and people, jobs and the customer experience. The conversation highlights the need for a clear understanding of current capabilities and the challenges faced in data management and legal considerations. Ultimately, they emphasize the importance of a strategic approach to AI in customer engagement encompassing employee training and cultural change.
Takeaways
Evidence of AI delivering significant business benefit is still hard to find.
A lot of vendor claims seem unrealistic and lack context.
Study shows no clear evidence of AI reducing labour costs.
Businesses see more benefits when employers encourage AI use.
A strategic approach to AI is necessary for real benefits.
Training and cultural change will drive effective adoption of AI tools.
Understanding current state is crucial for accurate ROI predictions for AI.
Data quality is a significant challenge for AI deployment.
Many organisations see security and privacy as the top challenge in AI deployment.
Keywords
customer engagement, CFO, financial metrics, ROI, project viability, compliance, opportunity cost, resource allocation, business case, customer experience
 

S1 Ep 22 | Sign-off: The CFO

In this episode, Angus and Pete focus on the critical role of CFOs in evaluating business proposals. The conversation highlights the need for CX and Contact Centre sellers to articulate their proposals in a way that resonates with financial stakeholders, ensuring that all aspects of a project are thoroughly considered before seeking approval.
Takeaways
Highlight Strategic Alignment: Clearly demonstrate how the project aligns with the organization's strategic objectives (e.g., market expansion, operational efficiency, or innovation) and delivers measurable business value.
Emphasize Financial Viability: Provide a detailed financial analysis, including ROI, TCO, payback period, and potential cost savings or efficiency gains. Ensure assumptions are realistic and supported by data.
Address Risks and Mitigation: Outline key risks (financial, operational, or market) and provide robust mitigation strategies. Projects with an acceptable risk profile and clear contingency plans are more likely to be approved.
Show Scalability and Long-term Benefits: Demonstrate how the project positions the company for future growth, supports scalability, and adapts to evolving market or technological trends.
Consider Stakeholder Perspectives: Incorporate insights from the CEO (strategic vision), CIO (technological feasibility and security), and other key stakeholders to present a well-rounded case that addresses all critical evaluation criteria.
Keywords
customer engagement, CFO, financial metrics, ROI, project viability, compliance, opportunity cost, resource allocation, business case, customer experience