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hesitant to approve any new expenditure right now, and you don't want your good idea rejected simply because the dollar amount is a little too scary. You may be able to convert an almost-yes to an outright approval if you're ready in the moment to respond with a slightly stripped down version of your original plan. Everyone will win: you'll get your project, and the executive will get to feel like he saved money in the process.

9. Structure your request for success. Don't name the amount you need in the opening sentence of your proposal, before you'd had a chance to win the reader over. Rather, begin with a discussion of the ways that the project will financially benefit the company. Next, present your reasons for making the request, and follow up by acknowledging and overcoming any potential objections to the project. Only after you've done all that should you ask directly for the money. This structure, sometimes called the "persuasive pattern," will build your case and give your proposal its best chance for a fair hearing.

10. Maintain a detailed accounting of how your budget allocation has been spent during the past two years. Because IT is such a specialized field, it is very possible that your company's management doesn't completely understand how your money is being spent. This can give rise to the perception that you are unable to manage your budget effectively. Take a lesson from the auto industry executives who were initially rebuffed in their request for government bailout money because they all flew to the government hearing in private jets. Management needs to believe not only in the project, but also in you as the person who will implement it. You should present yourself as a thrifty manager who will spend the allocation wisely, not as techno-junky with a brand new iPhone on your hip, who wants to purchase high end software or hardware simply because it's the newest and most advanced product on the market.

No plan of attack will get you additional funding if the company has none to give. However, by following these tips, you will be positioning your request for its best possible chance to succeed. Focus on demonstrating that your project is the right idea at the right time, and you are the right person to implement it. If you keep those simple ideas in mind and take the time to adequately prepare your argument, it is possible to increase your department's budget - or at least ward off unwanted cuts - even during the worst economic crisis. Be committed and be clear, and you may find yourself with the money you need.

Learn more about this author, Jayden Harlow.
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