Why Influence Matters

As a PM, you don’t have direct authority, so getting buy-in is about influence—not control. The best ideas don’t always win; the best-communicated ones do.

Step 1: Map Your Stakeholders

Before you try to persuade anyone, understand:

Who are the key decision-makers? (VPs, Directors, etc.)
Who are the blockers? (Skeptics, resource owners)
Who are the champions? (People who benefit most from your idea)

Use this Stakeholder Mapping Template to identify where they stand:

Stakeholder	Role	Influence Level (High/Med/Low)	Support Level (For/Neutral/Against)	Key Concerns & Motivations
Name 1	Head of Engineering	High	Neutral	Worried about tech debt
Name 2	Customer Support Lead	Medium	For	Wants faster issue resolution
Name 3	Finance	High	Against	Concerned about cost

(Make a copy of this table and fill it out for your situation.)

Step 2: Tailor Your Approach

Different stakeholders require different strategies:

✅ Decision-makers → Show business impact (revenue, efficiency, growth).

✅ Engineers → Address feasibility and tech debt concerns.

✅ Sales & CS → Highlight customer pain and competitive advantage.

Step 3: Use the Right Influence Tactics

Here are three tactics that work:

1️⃣ Frame your ask around their priorities.

Wrong: “We should do this because customers want it.”
Right: “This will reduce churn by 15%, helping us hit our retention goals.”