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How To
Sell Your Ideas to Other Stakeholders
Great ideas are one thing; getting them into
the minds of others is another. Use various selling techniques to sell your
ideas to others. Remember,
marketing is a battle of perceptions, not ideas. All truth is
relative – what people perceive to be true that is
the truth. Your task is to establish or change your prospect's
perceptions,
because if they don't you will not win the battle. The ugly truth is that
you'll get further with a mediocre idea supported by a skillful marketing
campaign than with a great idea alone.
One of the best arguments
for
persuading decision makers to change direction is to show the value of
good
innovation. Present your ideas as
possibilities and you'll be
astonished at how much more readily people turn around and come to see the
validity of your ideas.
Give people time to digest a new idea. "Be
persistent. Don't expect to "win" the first time. Your first job is just to
start the other person thinking," advised Benjamin Franklin in his
Bargaining Tips.
Negotiation DOs and DON'Ts
People always
resist change, new ideas
and new courses of action, even if the ideas are good for them. However, if
they have an opportunity to digest these ideas for a few days, they may
accept them with enthusiasm. Usually, an individual needs from 24 to 72
hours to absorb a new idea. So, present your ideas in very casual way, as
thoughts for consideration or as a
coaching or
searching
question, and then just leave the idea with others, say "we'll discuss
this later" and give them an opportunity to think about it for a few
days.
Making Effective
Presentations
Support for your idea, proposal, project,
product purchase or a budget approval can be won or lost based on your
ability to present with credibility, to transfer your enthusiasm, and to
deliver your thoughts and ideas with
style, confidence and authority.
How To Make Great Presentations
Communicate effectively to educate, motivate
and persuade your prospects. Be more persuasive and enthusing using
emotional
keys. A remarkable and persuasive presentation can help you stand out from
the crowd, get noticed in a positive way and win supporters...
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Use Prototypes to Sell Your
Ideas to Others
Making
prototypes would also
help you sell your ideas to others.
"Good
prototypes don't just communicate – they persuade," says Tom Kelly.3
Prototypes beat words and pictures. If a picture is worth a thousand words,
then a good prototype is worth a thousand pictures. "It if easy to reject a
dry report or a flat drawing. But models often surprise, making it easier to
change your mind and accept new ideas. Or make hard choices, such as
forgoing costly and complex features. Give your
management team a
report, and it's likely they won't be able to make a crisp decision.
But a prototype is almost like a spokesperson for a particular
point of view, crystallizing the group's
feedback and keeping the things
moving."
Persuading People
Persuasion is about getting people to
want to do what you want them to do. "It's how you tap into
people's dreams and link your products or services or causes to the
realization of their dreams – it's how you make them see it, hear it, and
want it, " says Nicholas Boothman.2...
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