The Ask

The ask is the last element of the one-pager and the one most likely to be vague. 'Please advise' is not an ask. 'We look forward to your feedback' is not an ask. 'Approve $1.85M for Q2 deployment by March 31' is an ask.

An executive ask has four components. Specific action: what you need them to do — not 'support this initiative' but 'approve the budget and authorize contract signature.' Dollar amount: exact, not a range. 'Approve $1.85M' not 'approve the investment described above.' Deadline: the date by which the decision is needed and why. 'By March 31 to enable Q2 kickoff' tells the executive why the deadline matters. Next step: what happens immediately if they approve. 'Approval triggers a contract signature within five business days and a kickoff meeting the first week of April.' The next step closes the loop — it tells the executive exactly what they are setting in motion.

A well-structured ask removes ambiguity from the approval path. The executive who approves knows exactly what they approved, for exactly how much, and what happens next. The executive who declines knows exactly what they are declining. No follow-up questions needed on either path.

## Ask

Approve the Q2 deployment of [Initiative Name].

- **Authorization:** $1.85M total ($1.2M one-time implementation + $650K annual operating)
- **Decision needed by:** March 31, 2026 (to enable Q2 kickoff on schedule)
- **If approved:** Vendor contract signed within 5 business days. Project kickoff scheduled for April 7–11.
- **Six-month checkpoint:** October 1, 2026 — realized results vs. projection, with continue/modify/discontinue recommendation

Questions: [Name] | [Email] | [Phone]