Even if you understand and passionately advocate for the merits of Inbound marketing, convincing your boss to see the light may not always be an easy task. Executives, directors and other leadership roles have to make challenging decisions on a daily basis, especially when budget and company resources are at stake. So, it's understandable why an executive may not have a welcoming attitude towards Inbound. However, making the case for inbound marketing shouldn't be a daily frustration: here are a few simple tips to keep in mind as you attempt to get your boss on board with inbound methodology.

Speak Their Language; Save Time

Admittedly, busy business leaders don't always take kindly to the jargon that marketers and marketing managers use in every day conversations. Simply, your boss may not care much about landing page optimization and may get frustrated if you start rambling about "bounce rate" or "conversion rate optimization."

If you want to get your boss on board  with the concept of inbound marketing, you need to speak their language and appeal to what they value-- more often than not, it's return on investment. By framing the conversation around ROI and potential revenue growth, you'll have a better chance of showing Inbound's merit.

To keep your boss's attention, you need to quickly establish the end result of embracing inbound marketing: more qualified prospects, greater exposure, and ultimately, more sales. Keep language simple, action-oriented and honed in on tangible business benefits.

Show Them What They Have to Lose

This is one of the few keys to motivating your boss, especially if they are stubborn. Take advantage of their competitive nature by showing them how your competitors are using Inbound strategies to rank for keywords that your company is also competing for. 

Competition can go a long way towards convincing your boss that Inbound is a worthy investment. Once you have identified several phrases that your competitor ranks high for (and your company doesn't), ask your boss if he has a few minutes to go over what your prospects are finding when they research online.

Have your boss physically search for the keywords, so that he can understand the implications of falling behind (when he sees the competitor ranking well). This is your best shot if you have a stubborn alpha-male boss.

Make Them An Offer They Can't Refuse

Of course, I'm not suggesting that you should threaten your boss with Mafia style intimidation; rather, you should be well-prepared before you begin the conversation.  Head into the conversation prepared,  knowing the language your boss speaks, the priorities they hold and the outcomes they are most passionate about.

Look up Inbound Marketing case studies to help show them the return is there and win them over with compelling statistics by demonstrating that not only does outbound marketing lead to diminishing returns, but inbound marketing could grant you the opportunity to pull miles ahead of competitors.

Lastly, (and most importantly) show them your intended plan and prove to them that it’s possible – and affordable – to start doing inbound marketing today.

If you enter the conversation prepared, you could be the spark that ignites a new way of thinking within your business.

ImageWorks, LLC | Find Your Solution

When it comes to attracting, converting, analyzing, and integrating, there is nothing that is out of the reach of our capabilities. As a leading CT Inbound Marketing Firm, ImageWorks uses state of the art techniques and is focused on the success of your business. We work with you to improve your current marketing plan, overcome your challenges, achieve your goals, and meet deadlines.

By creating content specifically designed to appeal to your dream customers, inbound attracts qualified prospects to your business and keeps them coming back for more. ImageWorks  covers each and every step taken, tool used, and lifecycle stage to help assist the customer.

We help to empower marketers to attract visitors, convert leads, close customers, and delight promoters.

Want to turn your website into a lead generating? Start by participating in the inbound strategy session below.