You’ve got an idea that you want to sell to your organization. Maybe it’s a project that you want to be in charge of. Or maybe it’s a piece of a bigger project that you want to move forward. It could be an improvement on an existing process or just something that you believe will make your group, team, or organization function better. You want others to understand and endorse your idea, to line up in support of it before you take it public and risk a false start.
If you don’t have a strategy for selling your idea, you face several risks. You may not be able to accomplish your objective: the problem may not be solved or the improvement may not be made. Others may perceive you as ineffective and unable to follow through. Your direct reports may lose confidence in you. And if you don’t sell your idea and accomplish your objective, your competitor might. Ouch! If you want to be successful in getting others to consider and adopt your ideas, there are two important things to consider. First is an environmental scan. A scan of your organization clarifies your situation in relation to the people you have to influence as part of selling your ideas. The second element is a collection of tactics that you can employ when you begin trying to sell your ideas. This guidebook examines both of those components.