The hidden language of rejected proposals

Ilaria Vilkelis
Ilaria Vilkelis
Jan 27 2025
6 min read
The hidden language of rejected proposals

In business, the failure of a great idea often has nothing to do with its merit. More often, the downfall lies in how it’s presented. This is a reality I’ve witnessed repeatedly, most recently while working with George, the Head of IT at a fast-growing tech company. His story highlights a challenge many STEM professionals face: bridging the communication gap between deep technical expertise and executive priorities.

The Unspoken Barrier

When George came to me, he was convinced his meticulously crafted $2.5M cybersecurity proposal had been rejected because of its price. But during our conversation, it became clear that the issue wasn’t the cost, it was the way he communicated its value.

In the boardroom, George focused on the technical details of his proposal: firewalls, endpoint protection, and compliance metrics. While this information was critical to him, it didn’t resonate with his audience. The CFO was likely wondering how this expense fit into the company’s Asia-Pacific expansion plan. The CEO may have been thinking about its impact on their IPO. George’s presentation lacked a narrative that answered their unspoken questions.

A Tale of Two Approaches

George’s turning point came when he witnessed his colleague Martha secure approval for a $3.2M project. Martha didn’t dive into technical minutiae. Instead, she led with this:
“Failing to take this action could devalue our stock by 23% during the IPO. Here’s how we can prevent that.”

That one sentence reframed her proposal as a business imperative rather than a technical expense. Martha didn’t just present a solution, she told a story that spoke directly to the company’s most pressing concerns.

Understanding the Translation Gap

George’s experience is far from unique. Many professionals struggle to communicate technical ideas in a way that resonates with senior decision-makers. To close this gap, you need to understand what objections really mean:

  1. “It’s not in the budget.” This often means, “How does this align with our strategic priorities?”
  2. “Let’s revisit next quarter.” What they might be saying is, “The urgency isn’t clear to us yet.”
  3. “The numbers don’t work.” Translation: “We don’t see the business return on this investment.”

The Cost of Doing Nothing

One of the most impactful shifts George made was addressing the cost of inaction. His original presentation assumed his audience understood the risks of delaying action, but they didn’t. Together, we reframed his message by including key statistics:

  • 60% of companies go bankrupt within 6 months of a significant breach.  
  • The average recovery time after a data breach is 280 days. 
  • The mean cost per breach is $4.35M.  

These numbers told a story that was impossible to ignore. Suddenly, George’s proposal wasn’t just a cybersecurity solution, it was a safeguard against financial disaster and a critical enabler of business growth.

Focusing on Communication Skills

Leadership isn’t just about having the right ideas, it’s about making sure those ideas resonate with the people who can act on them. For many leaders, this means mastering the art of executive communication. Here’s why this skill is so critical:

1. Executives Think in Terms of Business Impact

While mid-level discussions often focus on tactical details, executives are laser-focused on strategy, growth, and risk. They’re asking themselves:

  • “How does this align with our strategic priorities?”
  • “What’s the ROI of this investment?”
  • “How will this protect or advance the company’s future?”

To speak their language, leaders need to translate their expertise into these terms. It’s not enough to be right; you need to clearly connect your ideas to the organization’s goals and priorities.

2. Decisions Are Made Quickly

Executives are under constant pressure to make fast, high-stakes decisions. They don’t have time to sift through overly detailed presentations or complex jargon. If you can’t quickly articulate your point in a way that resonates, you risk losing their attention and your opportunity.

3. Communication Builds Credibility

A leader who communicates effectively demonstrates clarity of thought, confidence, and preparation. These qualities build trust and credibility with senior stakeholders. On the other hand, a poorly communicated idea, even a brilliant one, can undermine a leader’s perceived competence.

A 2023 Harris Poll found that 72% of senior executives consider strong communication skills essential for effective leadership. It’s not just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity.

4. It’s a Skill That Multiplies Impact

When leaders master communication, their influence extends far beyond a single conversation. They inspire teams, align stakeholders, and drive change across the organization. They’re able to:

  • Secure buy-in for innovative ideas.
  • Rally teams around strategic initiatives.
  • Navigate resistance and resolve objections effectively.

The Opportunity Ahead

Strong communication skills are not innate, they are learned and refined over time. By investing in these skills, leaders can ensure their ideas are heard, their influence and impact are felt, and their careers flourish.

In a world where the best ideas don’t always win, the ability to communicate effectively is the ultimate leadership advantage. Are you equipping yourself and your team with the tools to succeed?

Leading with Impact

The next time George presented his proposal, he led with what mattered most to his audience:

  • Establishing a shared understanding of the risks.
  • Highlighting the cost of doing nothing.
  • Framing cybersecurity as a growth enabler, not an expense.
  • Connecting the solution to the company’s IPO timeline and strategic goals.

His revised approach worked. A quarter later, I received a simple message: “I got it! Approved. Thanks. 👍”

The Takeaway

The boardroom isn’t just a place for facts and figures, it’s a place for narratives that tie those facts to the organization’s broader goals. To succeed, you must translate your expertise into the language of business impact.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), ineffective communication is the primary contributor to project failure one-third of the time and has a negative impact on project success more than half the time.

Your technical knowledge is your foundation, but your ability to communicate its relevance is what will drive change. After all, great ideas don’t fail in the boardroom because they’re bad ideas, they fail because they’re not told as the right story.

What stories are you telling? And are they the ones your audience needs to hear?

This article is part of the Precision Matters series. In the series, HR and L&D leaders share their expert strategies for utilizing Learning & Development tools to craft precise, impactful business outcomes and foster organizational growth.

Ilaria Vilkelis
Ilaria Vilkelis
Ilaria is a senior executive coach, facilitator, and expert in leadership transitions with over 20 years of international coaching expertise. She coaches senior managers and high potentials to lead diverse teams with impact, clarity of vision, engaging communication, and appropriate motivation. She worked extensively at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she helped over 300 senior executives communicate powerfully, delegate effectively, and strengthen their productivity. After living in six different countries, Ilaria describes herself as a global citizen working across and beyond cultures and divides. Generous, creative, and unconventional, she is a maverick coach who draws from her multifaceted life experience and her rigorous training to create memorable and powerful sessions. Before being a coach, Ilaria was a management consultant and communication trainer. Over the years, she worked with many industries and companies at all stages of development.

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