YOU’VE COME UP WITH A CRACKER OF an idea and now, the only thing left to do is to get it accepted and adopted. But before you take it to the people who matter, get your act together. For many a good idea has come a cropper for no other reason than poor presentation and bad marketing skills. Here’s how to do it right, says Sreeradha D Basu.
Make a business case for your That is paramount, if you have an idea worth pursuing, advises A Sudhakar, head, HR, Dabur India. Get your facts and data in place. And do your research thoroughly. Otherwise, your idea is just on paper. "For a new product, for instance, one needs to have background information, data about the market, the competitive scenario and such," says Sudhakar
Pitch it to the right people Be clear about presenting your ideas to the right people, those who have the authority and the budget to sanction it. Says HR consultancy Ma Foi Randstad director and president E. Balaji: "Make sure you have the right audience. Sometimes people aren’t clear about who the relevant person is." If possible, meet with stakeholders before the formal presentation to generate interest and pre-sell them on the idea.
Keep it Crisp Detailed and lengthy doesn’t cut it; crisp and concise does. "Sell the benefits first: the benefits to the organisation, even the person you are presenting it too," says Balaji.
Don’t knock the old methods Salil A, who works in an ad agency, recalls how he once rubbed his seniors the wrong way while presenting the idea for a new campaign for a product that had been with the agency for a long time. "I was new to the organisation and found faults with the old campaign, forgetting that some of them had worked on it. They found plenty of reasons to turn me down." The next time, Sahil played it safe. "I presented it in a way that showed I was simply building on their old ideas. I just sailed through," he laughs.
Discuss the limitations upfront Every idea is bound to have some shortcomings. Figure them out before someone else does and suggest ways to work around them. "That way you are fully prepared and won’t give your critics any chance to wear you down," says Sudhakar.
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