Making an ICT Presentation to Directors

Non IT directors are always concerned that IT costs too much and that IT projects have a bunch of cowboys who don't follow the rules.

Try to tell them differently. Sell them on the value equasion. This won't be fans of IT but they will be fans of good business decisions.

One of the best things you can do is find out what the company's strategic goals and plans are, and theyn try and put your plans in the larger context. If your projects are required or very supportive of a larger initiative, you are more likely to cut through the suspcions.

James

For Non IT management it is all about the money.

You'll have to try and explain to them how a project will save them money. You might be looking at consolidating different products into a single one, thus cutting back on different kinds of training, maintenance. Maybe what your looking at will cut downtime and need for support. It might be more intuitive for users, or more secure.

Like James said, find their targets/goals and hook yours into them.

To greatly increase your chances of succeeding, you need to get someone "on the inside". You need a Director who has already seen the light and can champion your cause for you alongside your presentation.

Talk to the person who takes the minutes of the meeting you are presenting at and find out who's influential and who makes the real decisions. Then go talk to them, stroke their ego, ask their advice on the presentation, ask their opinion on your topic, get them involved, if you can include their opinion and thoughts in the presentation. They're far more likely to champion your cause to the rest of the board if they have a vested interest before the meeting.

Also, get previous copies of the minutes and previous successful presentations. Work out what makes them successful and mimic it.