What is your big tip for people trying to get buy‑in from an exec board when it comes to a cybersecurity budget?

Name: How Do You Get Buy-In on Cybersecurity Budget from an Executive Board?
Uploaded: 2024-09-09T22:06:57+00:00
Duration: 1 min 2 s
Channel: Aaron Pritz
Description: Aaron breaks down how to win cybersecurity budget approval from executives: map the room to find allies and opponents, listen to what executives actually…

Aaron PritzCEO, Reveal Risk · Cybersecurity Executive | CEO of Reveal Risk | Pharma and Healthcare Focus | Author & Speaker | Board Advisor

How Do You Get Buy-In on Cybersecurity Budget from an Executive Board?

9 Sept 2024 · 1 min

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1:02

Aaron breaks down how to win cybersecurity budget approval from executives: map the room to find allies and opponents, listen to what executives actually care about, translate technical needs into business terms, and tailor your pitch to each person's style. Skip the jargon and keep it short.

Questions this video answers

First, understand the stakeholders and internal politics—identify supporters and detractors. Practice active listening and translate technical needs into meaningful business context. Communicate crisply, adapting your style to each executive’s personality (brief/high‑level or data‑driven). Then, formulate an intentional strategy for your ask to achieve the desired result.

Chapters

Okay. Hey, Aaron, what is your big tip for people trying to get buy-in from an exec board when it comes to a cybersecurity budget?
I think first understanding the stakeholders in mind. It might not just be an executive, it might be a set of executives. There always could be politics involved. So who are the supporters? Who are the detractors? It starts with listening, asking good questions, and not just listening, but active listening and helping them understand that you hear what they say and can translate what they're saying to context that is meaningful. And then I think, are you being heard? Are you communicating your challenges or needs in a crisp way that's not overly technical or very long-winded? But depending on the personality of the executive, do you need to be brief, bright, and gone? Or do you need to lay out data in a convincing case? So knowing all that together to formulate with intention your strategy of how you're approaching that executive for that ask to get the result that you want.