A few years ago, I sat down for lunch with a friend who happens to be the CFO of a major corporation. Our kids were friends, so we’d spent plenty of time on the sidelines together at soccer games, talking about life, travel, and parenting. But that afternoon, I had a question that was more professional than personal.

I asked, “How do you decide which IT projects to approve when they fall outside the annual budget? You’re an accountant — not a technical person. So how do you know when to say yes?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “It’s simple,” he said. “A story and a spreadsheet.”

He explained that every proposal that crosses his desk has to contain those two things:

• A story — a short, clear narrative that explains what’s being done, why it matters, and how it connects to business priorities.
• A spreadsheet — the numbers that prove it’s worth doing.

“If it doesn’t have both,” he said, “it doesn’t get my approval.”

That’s it. No complicated frameworks, no elaborate presentations. Just a story and a spreadsheet. And honestly, it makes perfect sense.

---

Why This Works

CFOs — and most executives — think in stories and numbers.

Stories give context. They connect emotion to logic. They explain why this matters now. Spreadsheets provide evidence. They anchor the story in measurable, defendable value.

Without the story, numbers have no meaning. Without the numbers, stories have no weight. Together, they tell a complete truth.

Too often, technical professionals focus on only one side of that equation. We either tell a great technical story with no financial grounding — or we deliver a spreadsheet full of ROI calculations that lacks any human or strategic connection.

Executives don’t buy technology. They buy outcomes they can explain.

A story and a spreadsheet do that better than anything else.

---

The Power of Story

Let’s start with the story, because it’s the part most engineers and sellers underestimate.

A good business story has three parts:

1. The Situation — What is happening today? Why is it relevant now?
2. The Struggle — What challenge or barrier is getting in the way of success? What’s at risk if nothing changes?
3. The Solution — What are we proposing, and what will the outcome look like when it works?

This structure mirrors how the brain processes information. We need context before contrast, and conflict before resolution. When we present information in this sequence, it doesn’t just make sense — it feels right.

The Emotion Element

Emotion is not a marketing trick — it’s the foundation of memory and decision-making.

Neuroscience tells us that we don’t make choices based on logic alone. We make choices by instinct first — a fast, emotional filter that decides whether something feels safe, important, or worth attention.

Only after that instinctual gate is opened do we get to the logical part of the process — where data, metrics, and analysis can win.

That’s why a good business story must create an emotional connection. Not tears or drama, but meaning.

Executives are human. They may process data, but they remember impact. A story should make them feel something about the risk of inaction or the possibility of change:

• The frustration of wasted time or effort.
• The pride of leading transformation.
• The relief of reducing risk.
• The excitement of creating competitive advantage.

Emotion allows the story to pass through the instinctive part of the brain so logic can do its work. It’s the bridge that makes data matter.

The key is authenticity. You’re not manipulating emotion — you’re revealing it. Help them see the human side of the problem and the real-world benefit of solving it.

That’s how you build a story executives don’t just understand — they believe in.

The ultimate test of a strong story is this: could your CFO repeat it to their CEO, and would it still feel true? If the answer is yes, you’ve done your job.

---

The Spreadsheet (Coming Soon)

Now, the second part — the spreadsheet — deserves its own post.

But here’s the quick version: it needs to be logical, transparent, and defensible. The math doesn’t have to be perfect, but it must make sense. It should connect directly to the story — showing how the proposed investment turns into measurable business outcomes.

The spreadsheet backs up the story. It turns belief into confidence.

In the next article, I’ll share how to build that value model — the kind of spreadsheet a CFO actually trusts.

---

Practical Exercise

This week, take one of your current projects and practice telling its story in three sentences:

1. What’s happening now?
2. What’s at risk if nothing changes?
3. What outcome are you enabling?

Then ask yourself: could a CFO repeat that story to their CEO and still feel emotionally connected to the “why”? If not — simplify it until they could.

---

Closing Reflection

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
— Albert Einstein

A story and a spreadsheet. It sounds almost too simple — but that’s exactly why it works.

When you can connect what you’re doing to a story executives can tell and numbers they can trust, you stop being “another request for budget.” You become part of the strategy.