How to write in a way that gets boardroom buy-in
Here’s a truth not every corporate writer wants to hear
It’s not enough for your document to be good — it needs to sound good to decision-makers. That means prioritising clarity over cleverness, structure over style, and ensuring your audience understands the why before presenting the how.
More often than not, you’re writing for people outside your area of expertise. If you’ve ever had IT look at you in disbelief because you haven’t restarted your computer in six months, you know how marketers feel when someone suggests “just sending out a few emails” to solve pipeline issues.
The point? Write less like you’re showcasing. Make it tangible, perceptible, and undeniably relevant to the executive lens.
5 writing principles for boardroom buy-in
Here’s what I keep front-of-mind when I need buy-in from senior stakeholders:
1. Start with the truth, not the trend.
Leadership doesn’t care about buzzwords. They care about business problems. Start with a diagnosis: what’s not working, what’s misaligned, or what opportunity is being missed.
Where data exists, use it. Where it doesn’t, offer real-world observations — what sales is seeing, what customers are saying, or what’s happening in the market. Be credible, not flashy.
2. Define the ambition.
Don’t just say, “engage employees” or “drive awareness.” Define success in commercial or operational terms: “Improve onboarding retention,” “reduce escalations,” or “build cross-sell opportunities.” The more measurable and specific, the more persuasive.
3. Make a clear, ownable recommendation.
Executives don’t want a menu — they want a call. Offer a strong recommendation and explain why it’s the best option. If it’s off-track, they’ll tell you. But presenting five options with pros and cons is more likely to slow things down or get you sent back for more work.
4. Show what it unlocks.
Paint the picture. What does this strategy look like in real life? How will it show up in team workflows, customer journeys, or cross-functional collaboration?
Even better: tailor your examples by function. If customer service can reduce queries because of your proposal, say so. If finance can forecast more confidently, highlight that too. Make the win visible for each stakeholder.
5. Make it easy to retell.
You’re not just writing for comprehension — you’re writing for repeatability. Use plain language. Short sentences. A clear narrative arc. Give people the words they need to advocate for your idea in rooms you’re not in. That could mean an email summary, a slide headline, or a verbal pitch.
When your idea makes someone else look sharp, it’s a lot more likely to get pushed forward.
The boardroom isn’t allergic to creativity. It is allergic to confusion.
Writing that builds influence must be…
The most effective writing isn’t just smart. It’s structured. It’s strategic. And it equips readers to make confident decisions.
The goal? Say something worth saying. Say it clearly. And say it in a way that someone with budget authority can confidently repeat to their boss.
When your writing meets that bar, you don’t just get buy-in. You build momentum.
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