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Why Sell Your Ideas?
- Your projects, programs, and career turn on the difference between “no” and “yes.” Part emotional intelligence, part politics, and part psychology, selling ideas is not like tricking someone out of his money. It’s about helping others to see things your way— engaging their minds and imaginations. (Richard Shell, author of “The Art of WOO – Using Strategic persuasion to Sell Your Ideas”)
- On today’s knowledge based workforce – “In our world, the right to give orders has largely been replaced by the need to facilitate, lead, and exercise influence.” (Klatt, Murphy, Irvine)
Influence Pre-Work
1. Establish Credibility
- Authentic professional relationships
- Expertise
- Trust
2. Plan
- Know how you are perceived by others.
- Know your audience – what do they value?
- Inside an organization selling your idea is likely to be a series of interactions rather than one single “pitch”
The Pitch
1. Context
- Frame Your Idea
- State the opportunity
2. Clarify
- Explain the details
- Why should they act? (in their frame of reference)
- Supplement numerical evidence with stories, metaphors, analogies that will speak to the heart as well as the head
3. Create
- Deal with concerns or objections
- Seek and share ideas
4. Commit
- Determine Who will do What by When
5. Close
- You’ve already closed the “selling of your idea” and have commitment. This is more about ending the conversation appropriately, saying Thanks. Don’t keep selling at this point …. Get out of the conversation and move on.
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