How to pitch a no-code platform to your CIO: a guide for the overworked head of IT

If you hold any kind of leadership position in an IT department, chances are, you’re overworked. Really overworked. Most days, you and your team are probably drowning in a sea of requests, trying to keep your head above water and maybe reduce your backlog by just a little. That’s because if you’re realistic, you know that there’s no way you can eliminate the backlog altogether without a significant addition of talent that your company can’t afford.

If you’re in that situation, you know that something has to give—the tickets are never-ending and there is no chance of ever digging your department out of the hole. And as an IT professional, you’re a problem solver—you know that there must be a better way to approach the challenge. You’ve heard about no-code platforms and believe that they could offer a solution. Now, all you need to do is convince your CIO. Easier said than done…

We know how difficult it can be to sell a CIO on a major change like adopting a no-code platform. But we also know how critical it can be for your organization. To make it a bit easier, we put together a guide to help you pitch a no-code platform and show your CIO why it makes sense for your organization.

Explain the backlog challenge and why change is critical

Start off by presenting some statistics that demonstrate that IT teams are notoriously overworked. It isn’t only your company—it’s a challenge facing almost every organization today. That’s because organizations continue to digitize more and more aspects of their business, driving exponential growth in demand for tech and programming skills. In fact, according to a survey by Gartner, over 70% of senior leaders recognize digital technology as integral to meeting revenue goals, product development, customer engagement, and advancing strategic operational processes. That means that the ever-growing shortage of technology skills isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

Universities and colleges simply can’t churn out developers fast enough, and most organizations want developers with experience, not junior employees. “Nearly a third of the most critical roles, like tech talent, are left unfilled after five months, costing millions in lost productivity on the table for each company every year,” says James Atkinson, vice president of quantitative analytics and data science at research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. Without enough skilled developers to go around, the competition for talent is unprecedented, and salaries are skyrocketing.

The talent shortage isn’t going to disappear, which means that your company may not be able to afford to significantly expand its IT team. You need to prepare for the labor shortage, and the only way to prevent an impact on productivity is to reduce your organization’s dependence on skilled developers.

Highlight how a no-code platform can help your team be more productive

The first thing to do is to explain how a no-code platform can help your team be more productive. Start by giving examples in which your skilled IT team members spent days updating a system following a simple change to the sales process, taking them away from tasks that deliver higher value to the organization.

Then ask the CIO to consider what would happen if someone on the sales team could update the system on their own? Sound far-fetched? Not really, that is what no-code is all about. No-code empowers people like sales team members to become “citizen developers” and create the functionality and applications they need without being dependent on IT or skilled developers.

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[.emph]no-code platforms can reduce development time by up to[.emph]

[.figure] 90%[.figure]

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With a no-code platform, that same team could have made the change themselves in a fraction of the time. In fact, according to Forrester, no-code platforms can reduce development time by up to 90%. That’s because no-code platforms allow business users—not developers—to create and manage the applications and systems that run their businesses. This means that your organization can quickly and easily make changes to its business processes without relying on developers, who are in high demand and short supply. That’s a critical advantage in today’s competitive business environment.

In conclusion, a no-code platform can help your team be more productive by allowing them to create the applications and systems they need without being dependent on IT or skilled developers. This gives your organization a critical advantage in today’s competitive business environment.

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Showcase how other organizations are benefiting from no-code

The next step is to introduce the no-code platform you’re considering as a solution. Your CIO will likely want to know how other businesses have used that no-code platform to achieve their goals. After all, they don’t want to invest in a platform that no one else is using. You should be prepared to talk about how companies of all sizes and industries are benefiting from no-code platforms.

You can also share success stories from other organizations that may have similar challenges to your own. If you can show that the no-code platform you’re considering has already helped other businesses address their specific challenges, your CIO is more likely to be interested.

Highlight features that make the platform stand out

There are lots of no-code platforms out there, so you want to show your CIO that you’ve done your homework and chosen the best one for your company. Make sure that the platform you are pitching can integrate with any CRM or a third-party app that your company currently uses, including PayPal, Salesforce, or Twilio. It's not only about the great features, but about how it all works together with your existing toolstack.

The platform you’re considering should also include a wide variety of pre-built applications and modules that can be used to quickly build the applications your team needs. This will save time and reduce the number of coding errors that can occur when creating an application from scratch.

Finally, be sure to mention the platform’s ability to easily deploy applications into the cloud. This will give your CIO peace of mind that the platform can handle the company’s growing demand for applications.

No-code platforms are becoming an increasingly important tool in the fight against the talent shortage. By reducing your organization’s dependence on skilled developers, you can free up those developers

Don't forget to address the adoption concerns

Your CIO will also want to know that the platform is easy to use. Make sure you can highlight features that make the platform stand out, such as its drag-and-drop interface, which allows business users to create applications without any programming skills.

Don't forget about training. Be sure to mention that the platform comes with a wide variety of training materials, including tutorials, videos, and user guides. This will help your CIO feel confident that the platform can be used by anyone in the company, regardless of their technical skills.

Address any concerns

Your CIO will likely have some concerns about a no-code platform, so it’s important to address them head-on. For example, they may be concerned about the platform’s ability to scale or its lack of security. Make sure you have a clear understanding of how the platform of your choice is handling privacy and security, and what certifications do they hold.

You should also be prepared to talk about the platform’s scalability. Can it handle the traffic your company is expecting? Is it optimized for mobile devices? Can it be easily customized to meet the specific needs of your organization?

If you can answer yes to all these questions, your CIO will be more likely to be interested in learning more about the platform.

Dive into how no-code would work for your company

Now it’s time to zoom in on your company and show how the no-code platform fits into your organization’s tech stack and workflows. That information is specific to each company, but if you need help mapping it out, let us know. Our experienced staff would be happy to help.

Don’t leave things hanging in the air at the end of your pitch—offer to create a proposal for implementing a no-code platform in your workplace. The CIO will probably appreciate your initiative, and a practical proposal will reinforce the points you made in your pitch. It’s also a good idea to provide contact information in case your CIO would like to learn more or speak with a representative.

Here is a quick checklist for your pitch:

• Introduce the problem that no-code platforms can solve
• Explain how no-code platforms work
• Address adoption concerns
• Highlight features that make the platform stand out
• Discuss the platform’s scalability
• Summarize the benefits of using a no-code platform
• Offer to create a proposal for implementing a no-code platform in your workplace

Get pitching!

You don’t have to resign yourself to being overworked and drowning in a never-ending backlog of requests. With the right pitch, you can get your CIO on board for a no-code transformation and break the vicious cycle. We’re here to help—check out what EasySend has to offer your company.