How to Sell Your Ideas

Learning how to sell your ideas is an essential skill to learn in an increasingly competitive work and economic market environment, coupled with global challenges. Many internal and external factors operate simultaneously and test the ability of the people to generate an appropriate and timely response, which separates the winners and the losers. In today’s dynamic and competitive world of business you require a dynamic and proactive approach. Success demands diligent salesmanship, companies, organizations or industries give a lot of emphasis on employees to come up with innovative ideas and proposals.

Selling is, essentially, explaining the logical benefits of making a specific decision. We ought to truly understand the value and the importance of this particular skill. The very essence of sales skills is communication and it plays a vital role in all businesses and careers. Learning these skills will help you win investors and land customers. Understanding the selling process and how to build long-term relationships with customers is extremely important in any career.

Having or developing sales skills can help you negotiate, whether that might be with customers, suppliers, or employees. It also boosts your communication skills. Learning how to sell your ideas will help you further your career. It will help you get noticed, and you will be able to act on your ideas, rather than just dream them. While selling your idea can be challenging, it is also extremely rewarding.

Being able to sell your ideas, or persuade others can be used for multiple situations. You can better motivate employees, make better deals, and have things go your way. This is even more important if you are a leader in the organization or company, you need to possess the power of persuasion to get your ideas accepted.

So, here are a few tips or steps on how to sell your ideas effectively;

1. Understand your audience and what they want

Whenever presenting an idea or a proposal to an external audience, or clients; do your research – what do the parties concerned value, what do they want out of an investment? Having market intelligence will help you have higher success rates when pitching and delivering ideas. The same applies when pitching a new idea to your team members, or internal audience. When trying to get buy-ins from members of the company board or shareholders, apply the same level of consideration. Remember to listen to suggestions, don’t get caught up telling your story that you forget to consider their needs and wants.

Yes, not everyone will be willing to accept your views and ideas, it is important to make your team members, the shareholders, and your clients understand how your idea or proposal will help the organization or company as a whole. Make it a point to explain the benefits of your new idea or proposal, by putting the company first you will gain the respect and support of everyone. This will also help establish you as a natural leader, and explaining the benefits that your idea or proposal will have for every person will help you gain support more quickly.

2. Make use of data

Clients, shareholders or stakeholders and team members want to invest in ideas that are valuable to the company or industry. They will not want to spend their time, money, and efforts on the wrong idea. It is your duty to convince them that your idea is the right one and the best to get the results they want to see. Incorporating data into your sales pitch is one of the best ways to make your shareholders, clients and team members say yes. Either use existing studies or conduct one yourself. It provides them with the necessary information that is needed to convince them that your idea or proposal is the right decision.

3. Pitch your ideas like you are narrating a story

Your audience, whether shareholders or clients, don’t want to sit through a long and boring pitch; they want to hear your exciting ideas and feel convinced. They want to know that you understand what the business needs. So, in order to sell your ideas effectively, instead of making a long densely packed slide full of steps and analytical data, include only the most essential points and make it narrative and interactive. You need to captivate your audience’s attention through your story telling. Build the tension, highlight the potential as well as the challenges and let your audience ask questions. Then provide them with the answers that support all your research and information.

4. Consider and understand all possible obstacles

You need to understand in advance that the people you are working with may have objections towards your proposal. Therefore, coming up with clear and concise arguments will help your audience listen and understand better. Break down the obstacles into parts, analyze those sections and find out what their weaknesses are and try to minimize them or account for dealing with them. Remember that your ultimate goal is to find solutions that are good not just for you but for all everyone else you are collaborating with. Obstacles are inevitable. So, show your audience that you have considered all the obstacles so that you can plan how to negate them, should they come up.

5. Keep it simple

The world is a complex place. The last thing anyone needs is more complexity, especially while making difficult decisions. Use simple language when explaining things, make sure you speak clearly. Using complex words and jargon is only going to confuse your audience.

Selling ideas and making proposals are more than just you talking about your work, it is also about asking questions and listening. You need to talk about the benefits, features and advantages of the idea that you are proposing. Some of the time you will be able to sell your ideas with ease, and other times you will not be able to sell them as easily. However, you should take every opportunity that you get to improve your pitch and come back with a stronger approach.