CFOs are only driven by a few key things: costs, revenues, efficiencies, sound decision-making and protecting the business.Project proposals that create a business case and solve one of these needs within an organization will rise to the top of every CFO's agenda. To speak the language of the CFO and increase your chances of getting your project approved, ask yourself if you've addressed the following questions with your proposal:

How does the project support the strategic initiatives of the company?
What is the business case; that is, the clear value to the overall business?
Why is this proposal more compelling than the current situation?
How does it impact revenues or costs, by how much, and when?
Because CFOs are focused on efficiencies, how does the project assist in automating key business processes?
How will this project increase access to real-time business analytics and improve decision-making across the company?
Which are the key project risks and how is the team planning to mitigate those issues?

CFO Agenda Strategy Summit
We recently hosted a CFO Agenda Strategy Summit in San Francisco where Bay Area finance professionals networked and gained insight from a panel of CFOs from local companies. This discussion shed light for us on how to get their attention and sponsorship of business initiatives.
The panelists included:

Christine Tsingos, CFO, Bio-Rad
David Liebman, CFO & Board Member, ConGlobal Industries
Jim Tropp, VP-Corporate Controller, Diamond Foods
Christa Quarles, CFO, Playdom
Matt Roberts, CFO, Open Table

In their own words, the CFOs categorized their roles within their companies as: Chief Educator, Business Consultant and Solution Provider. Consultants who assist the CFO in excelling at these roles will see immediate results. In addition, it is also wise to appeal to the CFO for guidance before developing a proposal.
Many CFO's have mandates that require them to serve as an "educator."

CFOs Have the Power: How to Win Their Approval

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