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Business Case in the Real World
In today’s
workplace, it is a wonderful skill to be able to write
a business case.
In fact,
many business schools spend weeks training their students
how to write a comprehensive proposal that covers all angles:
Situational Assessment, Problem Statement, Project Description
and Objectives, Solution Description, Cost and Benefit
Analysis, Financial Assessment, Implementation Timetable,
Critical Assumptions and Risk Assessment and Recommendations.
Yet in
reality, few managers have time to read such detailed documents.
Therefore, the reports are often ignored, placed on the
back burner or referred to someone else or to a committee
to explore. The best business cases are those that can
be read and understood quickly by the recipient. The preferred
length is one page.
This
does not mean that all the information mentioned earlier
is not considered and researched. In fact, a one-page proposal
normally takes longer to prepare, because the writer has
to fully understand the idea being proposed and all of
its ramifications. Then she has to focus on the reader,
his needs and his “fear factor.”
Remember
it is always easier for a reader to say “no” when
it comes to a proposal. Saying “no” often means
no complications, nothing to go wrong, and no financial
downside. Therefore, to persuade a busy reader every detail
must present a strong argument for him to say “yes.”
A good
business case includes all the details that will sell the
idea to the specific reader, and it can be done in one
page!
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