Think Bigger About Buy-In

When we talk about securing buy-in, it’s easy to focus on internal stakeholders—executives, functional leads, cross-team collaborators. But often, the people we need buy-in from aren’t sitting in the same org chart.

Depending on your goals, buy-in might mean convincing patients to participate in a trial. It might mean getting investors to believe in your long-term strategy. It might mean building trust with a potential partner—or even a skeptical community.

To do that well, we have to think beyond the message. We have to understand who we’re trying to reach, what they care about, and what might be standing in the way. Their motivations, their challenges, their lived experience.

That’s where strategy meets empathy. It’s not just about aligning on what we want—it’s about showing we understand where they’re coming from.

Whose buy-in do you really need to reach your goal—and how well do you understand what drives them?