After weeks of brainstorming, you just had a 'Eureka!' moment
(on your toilet seat no less). Sadly, that was the easy part. The hard part is
convincing your boss that your idea will work like a charm. Well, look no further because we
tell you how to hard sell your idea. Trust us, your boss will love it and you!
Get excited!
If you've got a brilliant idea, you had better be
excited about it. When you break the idea to your boss and colleagues, you've
got to make them feel the way you do about it. Keep your tone upbeat and
present your thoughts convincingly. After all, if you don't believe
your idea will work, why would they?
Be original
Original ideas are the only ones your boss wants
to hear. So don't tell him something he already knows or something your
colleague could have thought of too. Even if you were inspired by something/
someone else, it's for you to improvise and put in your own personal
touch.
Stay organized
People are judgmental. Your boss and colleagues
are likely to jump to conclusions even before you present your idea. They will
judge the quality of your presentation by the look and feel of it. If your
presentation looks polished and neat, people will assume you know what you are
talking about.
Ideas galore
When you present your idea, don't act like a
know-it-all. Leave scope for people to comment, suggest or simply participate.
The way you package your idea will reveal whether or not you are open to
people's opinions. If you invite their feedback, they are likely to be less
critical. They will give you their own ideas for making your model better and your
ideas will fare better in the long run!
First impressions
Take extra care at the start of your presentation.
If people are not impressed right in the beginning, they will not take you
seriously, or worse, stop listening to you. Starting off on a bad note, will
make them space out or switch off. As a result, even if you talk really well,
you will not be heard.
Set a record
A track record of making good presentations gives
you a lot of credibility. People will to rely on your data if you put it across
in a neat and attractive manner. Your boss will, in all likelihood, depend on
you to make future presentations. This will reflect quite positively on your
profile.
So now that you know how to sell them, keep those
ideas coming!
