Even on a good day, when everything is humming along smoothly, it can be hard to convince your boss to give you more support. Now, these conversations about money are more of a struggle as companies tighten the purse strings amid economic uncertainty.

Marketing tends to drop down on the list of priorities, putting more and more stress on those teams to do the jobs of two or more people. This makes discussions about branding and design with financial decision-makers a whole lot tougher.

So, how do you get buy-in from those decision-makers about design projects when they’re pushing to cut costs?

We’re going to give you a few ideas about how to frame discussions with management about design and branding as a measurable business investment, so you can get the help you need.

Explaining the financial decision-maker’s mindset

Before you can make your case, it makes sense to understand what’s going on in management’s head. Right now, many companies are paying attention to the warning signs of an economy in distress.

And for those controlling which projects and initiatives get funding, these are the thoughts that pop into their minds when the conversation turns to money:

– ROI: Is this request something that will result in immediate ROI? I need to see how this directly leads to more [sales, leads, or customer retention].
– Resources: Why can’t you automate [what you’re asking for]? We’ve invested in AI. I need to know why you’re not using it.
– Safety: Why would we spend money on something or someone unproven? What we have now is fine.

What you’ll have to do is prove to the person or people giving their stamp of approval that they’ll see results and won’t face any blowback on the company or themselves.

So, let’s address each of these concerns one by one.

Addressing ROI: What kind of return will we see?

Design helps to communicate your sales and marketing message. But in our experience, when discussing design strategy with business owners, directors, and other decision-makers, these conversations have to be grounded in financial language.

What does this look like for you?

Instead of saying, “We need a better website,” you’ll have to structure your argument around metrics.

You could do it by bringing attention to the conversion rate by saying, “Right now, our site’s conversion rate is 1.5%. If we do a strategic redesign and really focus on user experience, we could realistically increase it to 2%. It would be a .5% increase that would mean $X more in revenue per month.”

When you frame the ask around the gains, it’s easier to convince decision-makers that the money spent leads to greater returns.

Addressing Resources: Why not just use AI?

We’ll admit that Generative AI in its current form is compelling. It’s fast, accessible, and the initial cost is incredibly low. If your budget is tight, of course, it’s going to be an option to use for social media templates or even stock images.

However, there are hidden costs to using it, especially as it relates to intellectual property and brand dilution. There are also additional labor costs involved due to the time spent editing or revising what the AI produced to make it usable and on-brand.

When talking about the reasons why you need more design or marketing support with your boss, we would suggest mentioning how you use the tool now. Then you can talk about the gaps that AI can’t fill.

While it’s helpful for repetitive, low-level administrative tasks or brainstorming, AI can’t replace the critical thinking that creative, strategy-focused partners bring to the table.

Addressing safety: Why would we risk hiring an agency when we have you?

You have a limited number of hours in the workday to be productive, and according to studies, only two to four of them are dedicated to uninterrupted, focused work. The rest are spent on administrative tasks, meetings, and other projects.

Naturally, you don’t want to diminish your contributions to the organization. In discussions with management or other decision-makers about how bringing in additional backup, like a creative team, would help make both you and the organization more efficient.

For example, if your internal team struggles with brand consistency, a design agency can create an identity system and templates that anyone in the organization can use. This would foolproof the company’s brand identity and prevent brand dilution.

A creative agency provides strategic experts who put your company’s goals and its customers front and center, so every interaction with them is meaningful.

Bringing in an efficiency multiplier

Those controlling your org’s budget want to be assured that any decision they make will lead to more stability, efficiency, and a measurable return. Conversations with these decision-makers about increasing your marketing budget have to alleviate their fears.

This means that design and marketing have to be reframed from a “nice to have” to “mandatory for growth.”

As you address their worries and concerns, you can make the case for bringing in a creative partner to support you in building long-term value for your company.