How to Get Leadership to Invest More Into Ops & Technology

Also - what we wish marketers would understand about operations

In this edition:

1. How to Get Leadership to Invest More Into Ops & Technology

2. POLL: What Do You Wish Marketers Understood Better About Marketing Ops?

3. Exclusive For Paid Subscribers: What to Do If Leadership Say’s You’re “Not Strategic Enough”

4. Today! Catch Darrell Alfonso’s Opening Keynote to The Marketing ReFocus Virtual Conference

5. Fill out this form to learn more about The Marketing Operations Leader sponsorships.

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How to Get Leadership to Invest More in Marketing Ops and Martech

I get this question often:
“How do I get leadership to invest more in Marketing Ops or Martech?”

The short answer is: you need a strong business case and internal influence. Both matter.

But before you start thinking about ROI models or quoting how much time a platform will save, you have to do this one thing first.

Build trust and relationships before you make the ask

Most people skip this step. They assume that a logical case will carry the weight. It won’t.

People buy from people they trust. And the same applies inside your company.

If you want leaders to approve your proposal, you need to invest in relationships ahead of time. That means:

• Set up 1:1s with executives and cross-functional leaders

• Volunteer for high-visibility initiatives

• Find ways to help them succeed

• Ask them for advice and mentorship

This creates a reputation halo. When the time comes to advocate for your project, they’re already familiar with you, and are far more likely to support your ideas.

Create a business case that hits the four key levers

A strong proposal will touch at least two (ideally all four) of these outcomes:

1. Revenue growth

2. Cost savings

3. Speed to market or improved quality of life

4. Risk reduction

Let’s say you're pitching a new marketing platform. A strong case might sound like:

"This platform will allow multiple teams to launch campaigns 30% faster. We can sunset three redundant tools, saving over $150K annually. It also includes built-in privacy and compliance controls, reducing legal and reputational risk."

This format works because it speaks leadership’s language.

Timing and relevance matter more than you think

Even the best business case will fall flat if it’s not aligned with what leadership cares about at the moment.

If the company is focused on customer retention, show how your proposal improves engagement. If your executives are under pressure to cut costs, lead with cost savings. If competitors are gaining market share, highlight how your plan helps the company stay competitive.

It’s not enough to have a good idea. You need to tie it to an existing priority or a real concern.

Don’t just pitch it. Pre-sell it

Here’s an underused tactic.
Find out who might object to your proposal ahead of time, and talk to them before your pitch goes live.

The goal is to understand their concerns and show how the proposal actually helps their team or department.

Because here’s the reality:
Most leadership decisions are influenced by consensus and perception. If one influential person raises strong objections during the meeting, the decision can get delayed, derailed, or buried under a pile of "let's revisit this next quarter" responses.

Pre-selling helps you keep momentum on your side.

It's okay to make assumptions

A lot of marketing ops pros get stuck here.
They worry they don’t have airtight forecasts or hard proof of results before making an ask.

Here’s what I tell them.
Every business case is based on assumptions. Even finance teams forecast growth based on the idea that competitors won’t suddenly change strategy, the economy will stay steady, and there won’t be major talent attrition.

Your assumptions just need to be reasonable and clearly stated. You can say:

“We’re estimating this will drive $X in revenue based on last quarter’s conversion rates and campaign volume. If that holds steady, we’ll hit the target. If we improve those rates, it gets even better.”

That’s honest. And it’s how real planning works.

Final Thought

If you want leadership to take Marketing Ops seriously, you have to do more than execute well. You need to advocate for your work, tie it to outcomes that leadership values, and build the relationships that make it easier to say yes.

Don’t wait for someone else to connect the dots. That’s your job.

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POLL: What Do You Wish Marketers Understood Better About Marketing Operations?

Top Commentary from Social

The connective tissue that requires cross-functional collaboration that takes more time than you think. - Amy Vara

Strategy and cross functional alignment are as critical! - Diganta Malakar

Here's a list I got from a connection and need uploaded in the next hour. It's missing email, phone number, and last name... 😂 - Chris Hanson

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Interested in reaching over 6,000 marketing ops and revops professionals? You can also get in front of 50,000 marketers on Linkedin and garner 100,000’s of impressions for your brand. Fill out this form to learn more about The Marketing Operations Leader sponsorships.