How many earth shattering ideas do you imagine have beenproduced over the millenia, yet no one ever heard anything regarding them?
Just how many times every day do you imagine a good concept is shared with a decision-maker, only to be shot down and buried forever?
How many creative geniuses do you think are actually in a position to effectively communicate and present their ideas to interested parties? Not everyone can be a Steve Jobs. In fact, very few of us are. Which is one of the key reasons why Steve Jobs isis so successful.
Creativity and innovative thinking don’t really need clear, effective communication. Super intelligent scientists with negligible social skills dream up mind-boggling ideas in the privacy of their think tanks every day. But authentic innovation requires that those exceptional, world-changing concepts make it through the battleground of judgment and evaluation, all the way through to conclusion, where they will deliver genuine, sustainable value. That simply does not happen if nobody knows about them and passionately accepts them. And that requires effective communication and presentation expertise.
Communication is commonly the ignored, essential element of innovation. True, it’s not as interesting as the other elements we tend to so often find ourselves hearing about, things like strategic implementation, enhanced value, creative ideation, disruptive technology, elegant design and all the other overused buzz words. But in the end, if your brilliant concept is not lucidly and credibly presented to your team and decision makers, it will merely wither on the vine.
You have seen it happen, especially during a group brainstorming session. Somebody in the room comes up with an idea, a smart idea, one they like and that has real merit. Sadly, the individual lacks the skills and expertise to express it convincingly. A bigger voice and bigger ego in the meeting sucks all the air out of it, and there it lies. Every so often a kind pal will pick up the thought and stand up for it to the room. However if a talented communicator doesn’t accept the challenge, it’s done for.
The good news is that communication and presentation techniques can be learned and mastered by anyone. As with any other discipline, there are simple, proven strategies and techniques which will make it possible for you speak with authority and win over the opinions and choices of others. So if you are hoping to be a successful innovator, or even a contributor to the innovation process, you had better begin boning up on your communication skills.
Here are some tips to help you more effectively sell your next big idea…
1. Recognize What You’re Making an attempt to Achieve - Before you open your mouth, think for a few moments about what you want your words to actually get done. Are you attempting to convince someone that your idea is the best there is, or simply one of several warranting additional consideration? Are you making an attempt to get final approval for your idea or simply create the chance to present it up the ladder? Is your idea absolutely developed or simply an embryonic concept? Such topics can have a significant impact on what you say and the way you say it. So take a moment or 2 to consider what you would like to realize before you speak, and you may have a much better chance of selecting the best words to help you attain your goal.
2. Understand Who You’re Talking To - One of the most surprising discoveries most individuals have when refining their communication and presentation skills is that their audience typically doesn’t really care very much about what they want to say. The truth be told, the people you present your ideas to only care about one thing… what’s in it for them. To sell your idea, you need to perceive ahead of time what the other person’s agenda is, what their own objectives are in the given scenario, and then frame your argument in the simplest method possible to let them recognize that you understand, and that your plan can help them attain their goal. Will your plan make them (or their team) look good? Could it lead to a bonus or praise from their supervisor? Is it so risky that they could be concerned about supporting it? Remember this number one secret of great communicators - understand your audience well, and tell them what they need to hear. That is persuasive communication.
3. Understand What You’re Going to Say - Appears obvious, right? But how many times have you started talking and come to the realization, almost at once, that you simply were saying precisely the incorrect thing at exactly the wrong time? If you have taken a few moments to target the first two steps, this third one becomes much simpler. What must you say to this person in order to urge them to reply the way you'd like them to, right now? That’s precisely what you would like to say at exactly this moment.
4. Understand How You are Going to Say It - As the saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Of course, you'll kill a heap more with a flyswatter. Too docile or too bold an approach will not get the result you want when presenting an plan for approval. How you deliver your message can be just as important as the information itself. Think about the situation. Is the mood upbeat and genial or stressful and antagonistic? Are concepts being shot down quicker than they can be spoken, or is everybody being overly encouraging and not really giving anything genuine, critical analysis? Are you on a tight deadline or do you have all the time in the world? Pay attention to the atomosphere in the room before you start selling. Make sure your approach and attitude are confident, but appropriate.
Is it really possible to try and do all of this in the middle of a brainstorm, or even a business pitch? Of course. Seasoned communicators and presenters do it every day. It simply takes a little consciousness, thought and practice. Don’t wait until your career depends on it. Start using these four easy communication tips right now. In no time you may be able to consider all of these things in just a few seconds.
Many individuals assume that being a confident, persuasive communicator is something you’re simply born with. Nothing could be further from the truth. Communication is a skill. Learn it, perfect it, become a more valuable player in the innovation cycle - and begin seeing a lot more of your concepts become a reality.
Author Resource:-
Mitchell Rigie and Keith Harmeyer have a combined 40+ years experience working in the strategic marketing communications field. SmartStorming: Advanced Training in Innovative Thinking is the result of their personal experience and expertise, as well as extensive research and practical application. To learn more about SmartStorming, visit their blog at http://SmartStorming-blog.com or their company site at http://www.SmartStorming.com.
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