Influencing Up
5 Tips for "Selling" Management on Scheduling Software
Aug. 23, 2010
Are you an influencer? An influencer within a company is someone who has the power to make an impact or effect change by seemingly imperceptible or intangible means. Put simply, an influencer is the person that has an impact on the buying decision — without being directly involved in it.
Meeting the time and spatial organizational needs of employees in a company is a daunting task, and there are very few who would claim to have mastered it. There are always mix-ups, service errors, disrupted processes, and inefficiencies when it comes to synching up the business calendar of each staff member. Try as they might, many departments fail to utilize scheduling programs and scheduling software in a way that eases the pain of that natural confusion.
So why not implement a company-wide room scheduling solution that is not only seamless to get started, but will help your company run smoother every day after that? It seems like a no-brainer for you. But your managers may not see the value-add of scheduling software as clearly as you do — and they're the ones that are making the business decision to buy the program and dedicate up-front resources to the project.
You might need some help when "selling" room reservation programs to upper management in your organization. Below are five guidelines to help persuade your organization's decision-makers to invest in meeting room management.
1. Follow the Rules of Outside Sales
When presenting the idea of implementing a scheduling software solution to upper management, remember that it is your responsibility to sell — not their responsibility to buy. To really "influence up" effectively, you have to be a good salesperson. What does that mean? It means you have to take responsibility for achieving results.
The best salespeople are the ones that take it upon themselves to make things right, not focus on what others are doing wrong. Too many people in corporations spend time blaming management for doing things the wrong way or for not "buying" their ideas. But no salesperson blames their customer for not buying their products! If you focus too much on the lack of reservation programs to date, or the sad state of the average business calendar in your workplace, you actually become more disempowered. Take that time to develop the presentation of the idea — the sales pitch — rather than blaming others.
Salespeople also take responsibility for educating their customers. To really sell a meeting room management product to your supervisors, you have to make sure they understand you. Peter Drucker, the sociologist who invented the term "knowledge worker," noted that "it is barbarian arrogance to assume that the layman can or should make the effort to understand the specialist." Assume that your audience doesn't have the same knowledge as you do, and take on the challenge of teaching them what you know — or at least enough of what you know that they'll understand the benefits of using scheduling software.
2. Know that There's Competition for the Meeting Room Management Budget, and Rise to the Occasion
Companies have a finite amount of resources, time, and energy. The acceptance of your business calendar and room reservation system idea may well mean the rejection of another idea that someone else believes is wonderful. What can you do to compete? Be prepared to have a realistic discussion of the costs of your idea, and acknowledge that something else may have to be sacrificed in order to have your scheduling software idea implemented.
If you are ready to have a realistic discussion about costs, you will also be prepared for possible objections to the idea before they can be voiced by members of the audience. Let them know that you are aware that another business idea may have to be pushed aside in favor of your own, and then drive the nail home by pointing out the ways in which benefits of your scheduling plan may outweigh the costs.
3. Understand that Your Supervisors are Still Human
They might sit in a higher seat than yourself, but they're not superheros. Sure, they are competent, but they also make mistakes. Perhaps they waited too long to introduce the idea of a reservation system for meetings rooms and other workplace resources. Or maybe the idea was brought up, but never passed through. Never think or say something like "I would assume someone at this level should know we needed room scheduling." What's obvious to you may not be obvious to someone else — no matter what title they carry.
Another key item to note about your supervisors is that though they might seem foreign to you, there are many things you have in common, and you can use that to your advantage. Try to put yourself in their shoes, and understand what they want to hear. Structure your ideas from the decision-maker's perspective, putting them into a format (and tone and style) that will be most appealing to the listener, whoever they are. This is particularly important if your listener is part of a decision-by-committee, which is often the case.
4 Present Your Idea in a Clear, Organized Way
First, summarize the idea in a written and/or oral proposal that gives a quick overview of what you are presenting. Keep it simple; really, it should take no more than 30 seconds for management to understand what you are proposing. More than that, and you are making the problem and solution overly complex. Also, define the need, maybe be interviewing some of the people who use your meeting rooms and resources to find out how the scheduling issues negatively impacts their work and productivity. Share these "pains" with your management audience.
Next, explain the benefits (short-term and long-term) and the cost. Scheduling software can be of great value to a company, but it also has costs that you should outline clearly so that management understands the extent of the investment. Be sure to lay out costs in terms of both actual monetary investment and time. This due diligence will help you get buy-in from management, as they will know you have left no stone unturned.
5 Focus on the Future, and Let Go of the Past
Have you ever managed someone who incessantly whined about how bad things are? One of the most important behaviors to avoid is "whining" about the past. When people consistently whine, they inhibit any change they may have for impacting the future. Managers will view them as annoying, and those who report to them will view them as inept. Nobody wins!
To achieve success in selling your ideas about reservation programs to the decision-makers of your company, focus on the future and think about what can be achieved tomorrow, rather than what was not achieved yesterday. "Influencing up" is all about having an strong vision and orientation on the future, and knowing what initiatives to push today that will help your company achieve those future goals.
Take a moment to think about all of the knowledge you have accumulated over the years concerning your industry, your company, and your role. That knowledge can benefit your organization, if you only know how to present it — and its conclusions — to key stakeholders. Make a real difference by learning how to influence up, and have your knowledgeable voice heard.
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