In recent years, financial services executives have clearly indicated that they are no longer willing to rubber-stamp IT projects simply because the technology is a must-have. No matter how vital you believe your IT initiative is; if you can't convince upper management and senior executives of its value, your project may be doomed to remain on the drawing board.

These days, you must work to prove what you believe: that your proposed initiative offers the best solution for reducing the risks and costs associated with solving the key business problems on your executive team's agenda.

An increasingly competitive marketplace brought on by a flurry of mergers and acquisitions, government regulations and global standards is forcing financial services companies to look for innovative ways to keep existing customers and acquire new ones, and enhance their long-term chances of survival. In order to improve their companies' competitive standing in this changing environment, executives now talk of transforming the organization to increase profits and reduce costs through closer collaboration with the company's business community, its network of partners, suppliers and customers. And you have to find the solutions that will make this happen. Learn how to create a story that will successfully sell your next IT project to the people who control its destiny.