Selling Your Big Idea Internally, Part 1 of 5

Introduction & Idea Creation

We all have ideas, some more than others. Yet, we struggle with getting them implemented, discussed, or even heard. The corporate environment is no different than pitching to your friends; in fact it’s even harder. If you’re successful you’ll be able to kick start your career into overdrive. It takes patience and support to move your way to the decision makers and sway them in your favor. The key elements require support from your boss, a financial king pin, and a decision-maker that’s at the executive level. So if you’re in the market of pitching your ideas to corporate America, continue reading for some useful advice.

Let’s first review what you’ll need to get started:

• Time: Between 2 weeks and several months
• Focus: Your brain on caffeine overdose
• Whiteboard: In your cubicle to plan out your idea in plain sight
• Trusted Colleague: Someone to keep you from fantasizing
• Allies: Start lobbying and wooing your superiors to form trust
• Humility: Your idea will suck, yes you! Learn from criticism.

Step 1 of 5: Find a connection between you and your idea

Selling an idea is not like selling a product. Selling a product is easier because people can see what they’re buying. With an idea, no one knows what they’re getting into. To sell an idea you need someone to believe in you, trust you, and know that you can get the job done. I usually have a lot of ideas, some that never would go anywhere and some that could be the next big thing. The ideas that gain traction are the ones that will match your track record, or status of credibility. If you said you can make the next Google and you work in Healthcare and never programmed a day in your life, but yet, you know how to do it; people will laugh in your face. If you just graduated MIT with a Masters in Computer Science and you suggest the same idea, you’ll get people to listen, and listen closely. Get the picture?

You have relatively three avenues to choose from if your idea requires executive level traction.

1. Explain your idea to someone you trust and farther up the corporate ladder. This in my opinion is risky, but makes the most impact. The reason you take a risk is that once it leaves your hands you no longer “own” the idea. Don’t be surprised if executive level loves the idea but has no clue you were behind it all. When it comes to using supports higher up in the chain they have motives and E-level management wants the idea not the person thinking about it, they’ll put their own team in place that they trust. Weigh the risks, if your idea is “a big idea” this is ultimately the only path.
2. Match your idea to your credibility and make it so that you’re in charge because only you can make it happen. This requires less out of the box thinking because you need to be more realistic with your idea. Leave the corporate strategy to the big dogs; focus on plans to climb one rung at a time.
3. Shut up, you’re idea sucks, get back to work and focus on doing your job. Once you build a track record of achievements then think about pitching some of your ideas and you’ll get some casual ears to listen.

This concludes part 1. In the next post will get into the actual discussions with upper management and how to frame your position with strong story telling. Please respond in the comments with any feedback on part 1.