Selling a Project Inside an Organization

Most potential buyers want to be clear on both the risks and tangible benefits they can expect from a proposed project of any kind. When the sales effort is internal, it is usually the project manager who does all the homework, defines the project scope, evaluates potential solutions and service vendors, matches them against the scope documents, and then often fails to obtain approval from management. Although there are some differences in the challenges of selling internally versus externally, the most important factors include establishing trust between the seller and the buyer, only pitching to those authorized to make a purchasing decision, and positioning the project in terms of business benefits rather than technical functionality, and doing so in the client's terminology. The solution proposal must include an analysis of the resources and timeframes required, the potential risks, how the project is going to increase revenue, reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, meet regulatory or legal requirements, or lead to a larger market share.