Before the green light — what makes a case?
Business cases come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It could be a formal written document, a short letter or email, or even a verbal discussion or presentation. It could be formally called a business case, or it might not. It could be written for someone inside your organisation, or outside.
Business cases can include anything and everything — from bank loan documents to grant applications, to tender documents, to proposals. You might be trying to get the board to approve an office move. Or you might be arguing to take on two more full-time staff. Or maybe you’re trying to get a soundproof office pod, so you don’t have to keep eavesdropping on your colleagues’ calls — or the other way round!
What connects these requests is their shared goal of convincing decision makers to give the green light to what you propose. Your proposal or business case gives specific answers to a problem or opportunity.
Note the words ‘specific’ and ‘convince’ — not just ‘Buy a noise-cancelling pod’ or ‘Hire more staff’, but which pod, how many staff and in what roles? Is that the best option?
Build your business case like a debate
Your ability to argue is the crux of your business case. A good case is logical and well thought out. You need to show the reader that your suggestion is worth considering. But how do you do this?
A brilliant business case rests on two major things:
- your content itself
- the way you present your ideas.
Visualise yourself in a debate hall. To crush your competition, a good line of thinking won’t be enough to secure your team the win. You must have two things — logic and persuasive performance. A strong argument can become a weak one if it is delivered poorly. But charismatic bravado can’t make bad ideas good either. Both are essential and interdependent.
In the same way, the secret ingredients of a good business case are quality arguments combined with sleek presentation. Of course you must have convincing arguments, evidence, and solutions. But well-written sentences and good formatting are just as important, because they make your arguments, evidence, and solutions clear.
Know your debate essentials
Arguments and evidence mean relevant evidence, with the right amount of information for the request. Information will be transparent, and arguments will be logical.
A well-written business case is clear and easy to read. It describes the situation and options concisely and accurately.
Solutions will suggest suitable alternatives. They will allow for consultation where necessary. They will recommend a solution appropriate to the problem, resources, and constraints. And finally, they will consider stakeholders’ and decision makers’ needs and opinions.
Understand the context of your debate
Any good debater knows you need to start by collecting all the information you can about your topic. Thinking and planning is your ticket to success in the argument. You are an information sponge.
To build a brilliant business case, you’ll need to go on this journey of initial discovery. Don’t assume anything. Think deeply about your topic — about why it’s important and what you want to achieve.
Start by describing the problem, then ask progressively more detailed questions until you’re confident you understand the situation. Get curious about everything. Think about all the contours of your problem — the who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Use your answers to develop the question for your business case. Developing a question is not about using nice words or big words. It is about making sure the business case addresses the right problem. It will help you get your arguments and evidence right — and suggest suitable solutions.
Consult with your debate coach
Nobody wants a rogue debater. A good debate has oversight. It has someone at the helm gently shepherding the raw, argumentative spirit of the team.
The same applies to your business case. It’s a good idea to run your question past a manager or a decision maker. Your organisation may not want to make certain types of decisions for the next few months. Or it may want to adopt a new strategy.
Talking to a manager or decision maker also gives you a chance to to explain things and to get their buy-in.
Ready yourself for rebuttal
An essential part of any winning debate is good rebuttal. You need to get inside the mind of your opponents and pick apart weaknesses in your own argument. Pre-empt their counterattacks and poke holes in their line of thinking. Insulate yourself by thinking ahead.
In your business case, you will have to do the same. Once you’ve asked the right questions and gathered your evidence, you must now weigh up options and risks.
You may hear the phrase ‘cost–benefit analysis’, which essentially makes you think about the cost, benefits, and risks of each option. The cost could be money or time needed to do something or not. The benefit is the gain or reward, or improved outcomes for people.
Pre-empt the other team’s arguments by considering the risks for each option, and how you can manage them. Identify the risk, the likelihood of it occurring, the consequences, and ways to mitigate or reduce the risk. Thoughtfully weigh them against each other — show your audience how much you care.
Crack the code for brilliant business cases
To unlock all our business case secrets, check out Write Online’s business case collection.
We walk you through the business case writing process — mapping out each step and offering up a useful structure. We’ll also teach you how to take your argument to the debate floor, focusing on presenting your case like a pro.
Sign up at writeonline.co.nz to find out more.