This post is purpose written for anyone asking for budget next year. If you follow the guidelines, I am convinced you will walk away with more resources.

I’ve sat in hundreds of budgeting conversations with department leaders, and the ones who walk away with the most dollars do their homework.

Here is a five step framework for going into conversations with your CFO or FP&A team, and it can be used by all departments across the org. Think of it as your study guide, or better yet, the answers to the test.

Whether you are the SVP of Engineering or a Product Manager, understanding how to present a business case in a format the finance team can easily absorb and react to will put you on the fast track to securing budget dollars.

(And if you are an FP&A leader, you can share this with department leaders as a resource so they come correct)

Five guidelines to earn you more resources:

I. Apply staffing ratios across your headcount asks

II. Identify where your department is relative to the company’s overall lifecycle

III. Use benchmarks to determine what a best in class department looks like

IV. Forecast your team’s travel by person and activity

V. Ask for placeholders when it comes to tools and consultants

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