Issue link: https://insights.oneneck.com/i/1476866
2 Being able to answer these questions is a critical first step in the process. Your executive team will most likely be drowning in data from other sources, and you need to be able to cut through the noise. Therefore, your narrative needs to be clear and incisive. The project's value proposition must be effectively communicated – the executive team cannot be expected to magically understand the benefits of a bunch of charts and graphs. Don't leave anything to chance. YOUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IS KEY To get your message across effectively, you need to engage the story component of what you're looking to achieve. It's not just about numbers, percentages, and industry statistics, it's about telling the story of why security awareness training is a missing (and necessary) component of the organization's security strategy. Any statistics presented need to be clearly tied back to what they mean for the organization and what you're trying to achieve. Never put yourself in a position where things are open to interpretation and where your executive team might put their own nuance on the message you're trying to get across. When you're putting your pitch together, always keep in mind this three-step process to ensure you get your points across effectively: • What – every time you have a statistic or a number in your presentation, it should give rise to two other things: ○ So What? – what does this actually mean? ○ Now What? – what do we do in light of this information? Anytime you have a "What" you need to also answer the "So What" and the "Now What." Failing to do this leaves one or both of these questions open to interpretation, and that's a chance you cannot afford to take. Your communications strategy throughout this process is key. Be a storyteller, because telling stories is one of the best ways to embed concepts in our minds and make them memorable. Ultimately, you want your pitch to become a morality tale of the value of security awareness. Sure, support that with charts, graphs, and numbers as you need to, but don't leave the actual moral of your story up for interpretation. Spell it out blatantly in all your communications. Otherwise your executives could flip through the details before your meeting, assume they know what you're talking about, and make a snap judgment before you even open your mouth and try to engage them in conversation. Anytime you have a "What" you need to also answer the "So What" and the "Now What." Failing to do this leaves one or both of these questions open to interpretation, and that's a chance you cannot afford to take.