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How to submit ideas so that they have a chance to survive? Let's see.
Start with a goal
Imagine that you have invented a new advertising campaign for an amazing brand. You have worked on it for several days, and you cannot wait to present it to your art director. But you can’t just approach him and suggest an idea. Any good art director will ask: “Why should we do this?” Are you ready to answer this question? So, first of all you need to clearly formulate the goal. The following questions will help you.
1. Is this a problem or an opportunity?
All goals can be divided into two categories: problem solving and use of opportunities. A goal may be dual. In this case, it is better to position your goal as an opportunity, not as a problem.
2. Is the goal short term or long term?
A long-term goal is when you dare to dream of a future that does not yet exist. There’s no need to go into details in this case. It is better to talk abstractly and generally, because your main task is to inspire people.
3. Do you want to achieve a concrete or abstract result?
Love, freedom, success, good, evil are all abstract concepts. We intuitively understand what they mean, but still their specific meaning is difficult to grasp. Discussion of these concepts causes a lot of disagreement, because everyone understands them in their own way. In order for the abstract goal to work, we need to make sure that its wording does not cause contradictions within the team. Abstract goals are best used in conjunction with specific and measurable intermediate goals that everyone understands.
4. Is the scope of your goal general or specific?
A general goal touches broad topics. A specific one takes into account all the details. It clarifies what you want to achieve, and paints a concrete picture of success.
You can submit small improvements and additions to an existing product or service, or you can paint a bright future. Wording of the goal changes depending on the subject of the presentation.
Summarize the idea
Whatever your idea is, you have to consider one thing: when you tell someone else about it, it should immediately hook on that person. Here are some tips on how to achieve this.
Find a balance between simplicity and complexity. If you simplify the idea too much, you will not be taken seriously. If you over-complicate it, it would seem that you created a monster.
State the essence. You have probably heard about the so-called presentation in the elevator: it is a technique when you need to convince your interlocutor in sixty seconds that your idea is worthwhile. If it does not work, it means that you yourself do not fully understand it or it is overgrown with unnecessary details.
Explain in clear words. Ideas should be based on familiar concepts; they need to be explained in clear words, with the use of associations that arise immediately for everyone.
What are three unique aspects of an idea?
After you attract attention of the interlocutor, he will want to learn more and understand how you are going to realize your plan. Then you will need to formulate a so-called unique selling proposition, that is, paint the idea in a little more detail, specify and substantiate it.
Tell us what is needed to implement the idea
You will not believe how often people offer ideas that are simply meaningless! Everything looks great, sounds great and even perfectly corresponds to the goal. But all this does not matter if you have not thought out through how to implement your plans.
It is very important to clearly define what is needed for the idea to become a reality. By doing this, you gain the trust of your customers, colleagues or managers. They will see that you have thought carefully about the topic and are aware of its complexity.
Will the efforts necessary to achieve the goal reduce all the benefits from the final result? If you do not have an answer to this question, do not waste time in vain and do not present your idea to others - they still cannot do anything with it.
Based on “Pitching Ideas. Make People Fall in Love with your Ideas” by Jeroen van Geel
Start with a goal
Imagine that you have invented a new advertising campaign for an amazing brand. You have worked on it for several days, and you cannot wait to present it to your art director. But you can’t just approach him and suggest an idea. Any good art director will ask: “Why should we do this?” Are you ready to answer this question? So, first of all you need to clearly formulate the goal. The following questions will help you.
1. Is this a problem or an opportunity?
All goals can be divided into two categories: problem solving and use of opportunities. A goal may be dual. In this case, it is better to position your goal as an opportunity, not as a problem.
2. Is the goal short term or long term?
A long-term goal is when you dare to dream of a future that does not yet exist. There’s no need to go into details in this case. It is better to talk abstractly and generally, because your main task is to inspire people.
3. Do you want to achieve a concrete or abstract result?
Love, freedom, success, good, evil are all abstract concepts. We intuitively understand what they mean, but still their specific meaning is difficult to grasp. Discussion of these concepts causes a lot of disagreement, because everyone understands them in their own way. In order for the abstract goal to work, we need to make sure that its wording does not cause contradictions within the team. Abstract goals are best used in conjunction with specific and measurable intermediate goals that everyone understands.
4. Is the scope of your goal general or specific?
A general goal touches broad topics. A specific one takes into account all the details. It clarifies what you want to achieve, and paints a concrete picture of success.
You can submit small improvements and additions to an existing product or service, or you can paint a bright future. Wording of the goal changes depending on the subject of the presentation.
Summarize the idea
Whatever your idea is, you have to consider one thing: when you tell someone else about it, it should immediately hook on that person. Here are some tips on how to achieve this.
Find a balance between simplicity and complexity. If you simplify the idea too much, you will not be taken seriously. If you over-complicate it, it would seem that you created a monster.
State the essence. You have probably heard about the so-called presentation in the elevator: it is a technique when you need to convince your interlocutor in sixty seconds that your idea is worthwhile. If it does not work, it means that you yourself do not fully understand it or it is overgrown with unnecessary details.
Explain in clear words. Ideas should be based on familiar concepts; they need to be explained in clear words, with the use of associations that arise immediately for everyone.
What are three unique aspects of an idea?
After you attract attention of the interlocutor, he will want to learn more and understand how you are going to realize your plan. Then you will need to formulate a so-called unique selling proposition, that is, paint the idea in a little more detail, specify and substantiate it.
Tell us what is needed to implement the idea
You will not believe how often people offer ideas that are simply meaningless! Everything looks great, sounds great and even perfectly corresponds to the goal. But all this does not matter if you have not thought out through how to implement your plans.
It is very important to clearly define what is needed for the idea to become a reality. By doing this, you gain the trust of your customers, colleagues or managers. They will see that you have thought carefully about the topic and are aware of its complexity.
Will the efforts necessary to achieve the goal reduce all the benefits from the final result? If you do not have an answer to this question, do not waste time in vain and do not present your idea to others - they still cannot do anything with it.
Based on “Pitching Ideas. Make People Fall in Love with your Ideas” by Jeroen van Geel
