The playbook
- 1
Slide 1 — The £ problem
Show fully-loaded cost of current manual work as one number. Make it visceral.
- 2
Slide 2 — What AI now does (with proof)
Two real UK SME examples with named outcomes. Not vendor case studies — your sector, your scale.
- 3
Slides 3–4 — The proposed pilot
One use case. 14-day timeline. Capped budget. Defined pass/fail metrics.
- 4
Slide 5 — ROI math
Show the calculator output for your business. Be conservative — discount the saving by 30%.
- 5
Slide 6 — Risks and mitigations
List the 4–5 obvious risks (accuracy, security, cultural). Show your specific mitigation for each.
- 6
Slides 7–8 — Decision and next steps
Ask for: pilot approval, named owner, 14-day timeline, £ budget cap. Clear, specific, time-bound.
Common pitfalls
- Leading with technology (boards care about £)
- Over-claiming the saving (discount by 30%)
- Vague next steps (always ask for a specific decision)
- No risk discussion (boards trust people who name risks)
What you walk away with
Pilot approved in one meeting
Named executive sponsor
Capped budget allocated
Clear timeline to next decision gate
Frequently asked
What if the board says no?+
Ask why. Usually it's risk-related — propose a smaller pilot. Never re-pitch the same thing the same way.