In many IT shops, the tendency is to use diagrams when proposing new systems or changes to current ones. After pointing out the flaws with one system, they'll present a new flowchart of how the system could work. These charts and diagrams can be difficult for business managers to understand. Cost you can usually get a handle on, but revenue is often hard to predict. My observation is that if senior managers are turned on by an idea, hey are more likely to trust the statistical analysis behind a business improvement effort.
People justify what they really want and believe in.
The IT staff told me that their audience was more responsive and supportive than they had been in the past. The IT group at Best Buy, the consumer electronics retailer, even went so far as to partner with the company's advertising department to produce a video. The tape helped persuade management to improve the company's inventory management systems. As is often the case in meetings of this nature, the IT executive was not present. You'll need money for that.