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We all have big ideas that excite us, but it can be challenging to get other people as enthusiastic about them as we are. So how do you take those sparks of inspiration and turn them into ideas that people can’t resist and that get implemented? Here are some tips on how to sell ideas based on my podcast episode with Tamsen Webster, author of “ Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible.”
Start With Your Audience’s Perspective
Too often, we get stuck in our own heads when it comes to presenting ideas. We’re so excited about the details and benefits that we forget to think about our audience.
The most compelling ideas don’t start with you and your desires – they start with your audience and their needs. What questions are they actively asking themselves right now that your idea could help provide an answer for? What goal or problem are they trying to solve that your concept can address?
Getting clear on your audience’s perspective first will ensure you craft an idea narrative that resonates with what they care about most. It shows you understand them and provides real value.
Outline the Key Elements
Every strong idea has a core “red thread” running through it – a clear sequence of key elements that builds intrigue and understanding. Outlining these elements in advance provides a framework to communicate your idea compellingly.
These key elements often include:
- The Audience’s Goal: What question or problem are you helping them solve?
- The Truth They’ll Tell Themselves: What core belief or perspective does your idea align with?
- The Idea Itself: What are the unique details of your concept?
- Proof It Works: What evidence demonstrates the validity of your idea?
The Outcome: What future will your audience get by embracing this idea?
Mapping out how these elements logically connect into a narrative helps craft a story people tell themselves about why your idea makes perfect sense.
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Lead With Curiosity
Big ideas can fail to land not because they are bad, but because we present them poorly. Leading with intrigue and curiosity is essential to engagement.
Rather than starting with a dense explanation of your idea’s benefits, try opening with a question or observation that hooks attention. Help people see the disconnect or gap your concept will fill, but don’t give away the solution just yet.
Let the curiosity you build motivate them to keep listening and learning more. Once their interest is sparked, they’ll be more receptive to the full idea reveal.
Show It’s Inevitable
For an idea to feel irresistible, it must feel inevitable. When presented the right way, your audience shouldn’t question whether it could work, but see clearly why it’s the perfect fit.
This means showing how your idea aligns with a truth or belief your audience already holds. When core elements of your concept match up with what they already think is right and real, it feels like a natural next step instead of a stretch.
The most compelling ideas often feel like they were always meant to be. So show how yours matches and manifests existing perceptions.
Put Proof Before Asking for Buy-In
Don’t expect anyone to fully buy into your idea before you’ve shown clear proof it delivers what you promise.
Hearing benefits is nice, but concrete evidence is more convincing. Share specific examples and data that back up your claims. Show how others have already validated your ideas in real-world tests and applications.
Proof removes doubt so your audience can embrace the idea with confidence. Only once their concerns are covered should you move into asking for buy-in and change.
Stay Genuinely Excited Yourself
Enthusiasm can be contagious. When you stay authentically excited about your own idea, it’s easier for others to be as well.
Don’t let initial rejections or false starts diminish your passion. By maintaining personal energy and conviction, you convey to others that this concept has real substance and merit worth caring about.
It takes time to build momentum and support for any new idea. As long as you keep reinforcing why it matters, more people will join you on the journey.
See Setbacks as Puzzles
Not everyone will immediately accept your idea, no matter how strong. Don’t let this discourage you. View it as a puzzle to solve.
If your idea isn’t resonating, get curious about why. Did you fully consider their perspective and questions? Is there a missing element in your narrative? Do they have a fundamentally different view of the problem?
Debugging why an idea didn’t land provides invaluable clues to improve your approach. Reframe rejections as opportunities to refine your thinking and messaging. Each time you’ll get better at bringing people along.
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The Bottom Line
If you want to know how to sell ideas to other people you have to understand their needs first and show how your concept can become their own. Focus less on what you want to say and more on what they need to hear.
Craft a compelling through-line that hooks interest and systematically builds inevitability. Prove your idea delivers with concrete evidence. Stay persistent through setbacks by refining based on feedback.
By putting your audience’s perspective at the heart of it, any idea can evolve from personal passion project into widely embraced innovation.