Despite that the construction industry is often considered conservative, there is always plenty of room for fresh ideas. Original ideas are the reason businesses can innovate their offerings much more quickly, continue providing better services to the customers, and grow profitably. The challenge is to sell your idea to your peers or to your customers.<\/p>\n Many innovative people fall in love with their ideas. These people feel that only a fool would not understand what a great opportunity it is they are offering. Sure enough, in a perfect world, great ideas would prevail, and savvy business people would \u201cget\u201d them immediately. Unfortunately, there are many roadblocks before even the greatest idea becomes a business reality.<\/p>\n First of all, you\u2019ll have to understand your audience. Depending on the familiarity of the audience and the newness of the idea, there are four basic sales scenarios (see the chart). Each scenario requires a different\u00a0tactic.<\/p>\n Trust is a decisive element in selling a new idea. I wrote about experimentation in one of my posts<\/a>. Experimentation within your own organization is a great way to create familiarity. Trusted people\u00a0who have tested the idea successfully\u00a0become your advocates. Their approval\u00a0and endorsement makes selling a lot easier.<\/p>\n One of the main obstacles to\u00a0selling any new idea is fear. People are afraid that a new way of doing business or of working will be too disruptive and unpredictable. When you\u2019re unsure about the outcome, you hit the break.<\/p>\n An unclear outcome poses a clear risk. Therefore, one of the first things you must understand when selling your ideas is your audience\u2019s fears, even if they are not explicitly expressed. Managers fear losing status, control, or power. Fear of losing money is also extremely strong, especially among the incumbents. The more stable the business, the more reluctant the owners are to jeopardize their seemingly secured profits.<\/p>\n Fear can be a showstopper. Alternatively, it also serves as one of the strongest motivators to handing over money. Many great presenters know this when they begin their story by painting a picture of a threat or hazard. The idea or solution that they sell will be the hero that will save the business.<\/p>\n Your idea has actually three layers. The outermost is the visible layer:<\/strong> what the idea does, what technology it harnesses, what features it has, or what opportunity it seizes. These items are the easiest to explain, and many\u2014unfortunately\u2014think that these are enough.<\/p>\n The second layer is the customer\u2019s problem<\/strong> you are helping to solve. If you can quantify the value of the problem, you can quantify the value of the solution. Given the costs related to implementing your idea, you can even calculate the ROI. This rational level is important but is not enough.<\/p>\n When you understand the third innermost layer of your idea, you\u2019re far ahead of most of the competition. The third layer is the vision you\u2019re selling<\/strong>. If you know what desires and ambitions drive the audience, you have a much better chance of gaining acceptance than by simply sticking to the facts. When you\u2019re dealing with businesses, it is also advisable to know their histories, visions, and strategies in advance.<\/p>\n You should also consider your goals before starting the idea-selling process. What are your short-term, midterm, and long-term objectives? Answers to these questions help you focus on the right issues and actions when selling your idea. An idea sales process takes time, and planning every step helps you deliver the right message to the right audience.<\/p>\n For example, if you are selling an idea of a new business model, your first interactions could be about identifying the right audience that corresponds well with the idea. The goal of the second phase could be \u201ccommitment\u201d and the third, \u201caction.\u201d<\/p>\n Sam Harrison writes in his book\u00a0ideaselling<\/em> how a\u00a0good idea sales process takes into consideration Aristotele\u2019s Rhetorical Triangle, or the three elements of persuasion:<\/p>\n Sam Harrison concludes: \u201cSelling is all about what\u2019s going on in the hearts and minds of decision makers.\u201d<\/p>\n Many potentially\u00a0great ideas have been\u00a0killed\u00a0because of a poor sales process. Don\u2019t let that happen to your idea!<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFour scenarios<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nObstacles to\u00a0selling your idea<\/h2>\n
The three layers of an idea<\/h2>\n
Consider your goals before\u00a0each\u00a0step<\/h2>\n
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