A board does not approve a number; it approves a plan that explains how the number is reached. This deck shows last year's results first, then builds the target from pipeline, win rate and deal size, splits it by segment, sets out the plays, compares three investment options and lists the risks with a response each.

The sample follows Everdale Trading, which booked $18.4M last year and asks the board to back a $22.1M target. It shows a scorecard, a quarterly target chart, four segments, a recommended $845,000 investment and five risks. Replace the bookings, segments, headcount and budget lines with your own, and check that the sums match.