Compelling Digital Investment
Winning the Gut, Heart, and Head
Anyone who has been involved in finding better ways of doing things in construction will have no-doubt come up against hard barriers wherever money is involved. In such a low margin industry the decision to spend money on improving things is difficult to balance. This is a particular issue with technology investment. Compelling your stakeholders to make leaps with their wallets is a key skill of any digital lead.
At an event last week our facilitator and speaker, the great and powerful Chris Carey of Axiom, spoke of using the multi-model methods to engage with stakeholders to get them over the line.
In short: people make decisions with their gut, heart, and head—a combination of intuition, emotions, and rational analysis. To succeed, you need to speak to all three.
Those in the digital and IT space in construction are logical thinkers, it’s self-selecting. Unfortunately, when it comes to convincing stakeholders to invest in digital technologies, logical arguments alone often fall short as you struggle to connect your stakeholder to your proposal.
In this short post I will share some thoughts, based on Chris’ presentation, to frame your case for investment by appealing to each decision-making driver.
Compel the Gut: Trust Your Instincts
You and your target stakeholder(s) have evolved to rely on intuition when making decisions, especially when under pressure. Research in neuroscience shows that gut feelings are often shaped by past experiences and quick assessments of risk or opportunity. When appealing to the gut, focus on creating a sense of safety and control.
You can ask decision-makers to imagine:
Peace of mind: “Wouldn’t it feel great to know you’ve done everything possible to avoid expensive surprises?”
Control over the unknown: “Digital tools can help you plan with confidence, reducing the chance of things going wrong.”
You should share anecdotes or examples that resonate on a gut level, for example:
“On a recent project, investing in BIM modelling uncovered a clash that could have delayed construction by weeks. That one insight saved us thousands and prevented delays.”
Gut-level decisions are about trust and instinct. If you show people that investing in digital feels like the safest, smartest move for their project then you can’t go far wrong.
Compel the Heart: Inspire Emotion
Your heart is what you think of as your emotional centre, and emotions drive action. Research by Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman reveals that 95% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotions, even when people justify them with logic later. To win over the heart, focus on the feelings your digital solution can create.
Pride: “Imagine handing over a project that exceeds expectations—a project you and your team can be proud of.”
Relief: “Think about how much easier your team’s work will be with fewer surprises and smoother coordination.”
Excitement: “This is an opportunity to lead the way, showing how a project can succeed even with tight budgets.”
Storytelling works great here. Paint a vivid picture of the transformation your proposal can bring:
“On project ABC, we used simple digital workflows which cut rework by 30%. The client was delighted, and the site team felt a huge sense of accomplishment knowing they delivered excellence despite tough challenges.”
Appealing to the heart isn’t about numbers—it’s about how people feel when they’re part of something successful.
Compel the Head: Make the Logical Case
Once your gut and heart are on board, your head wants to see the data. This is where you bring out the numbers and logic to help your stakeholder justify the investment. Research in behavioural economics shows that people use logic to validate emotional and intuitive decisions.
Frame your argument around tangible benefits:
Risk Reduction: “Digital tool X can help mitigate key risk Y, which will allow us to reduce the contingency budget.”
Cost Savings: “By using model coordination and spending £50k total we can improve design coordination, reducing issues on site. I’ve forecast that this will reduce rework and delays saving £120k based on previous performance on similar projects.”
Use simple tools like the payback period to make the case concrete:
Simple Example: If investing £50k in digital tooling saves £20k annually, the payback period is 2.5 years. For a five-year project, that means 2.5 years of pure financial gain.
Bringing It All Together
To convince decision-makers to invest in digital on tight budgets, craft your pitch to hit all three drivers:
• Gut: Build trust and create a sense of safety by showing how digital reduces risk and uncertainty.
• Heart: Inspire pride, relief, and excitement with stories of success and the human impact of digital solutions.
• Head: Back it all up with clear data, logical arguments, and practical tools like ROI and payback period.
When you align your message with the gut, heart, and head, you’re not just selling a tool—you’re selling an outcome that feels right, excites people, and makes perfect sense.
Closing Thoughts
Investing in digital transformation isn’t just about saving money or cutting risks—it’s about creating projects that feel smoother, run smarter, and deliver better results. Think about appealing to instincts, emotions, and logic, so you can make a compelling case for investment, even on the most constrained of projects.
So, the next time someone says, “We don’t have the budget,” don’t just argue the numbers. Speak to their gut, heart, and head—and watch how they start seeing things differently.