Just how many world class ideas do you figure have beenproduced over the decades, yet nobody ever heard anything regarding them?
Just how many times every day do you envision a sensible concept is told to a manager, only to be rejected and buried forever?
How many inventive geniuses do you think are truly in a position to effectively communicate and present their ideas to important people? Not everyone is capabable of being a Steve Jobs. In fact, terribly few people are. Which is one of the most obvious reasons why Steve Jobs isis so successful.
Creativity and innovative thinking don’t truly rely on understandable, powerful communication. scientists with minimal social skills come up with miraculous ideas within the privacy of their think tanks every day. But genuine innovation requires that those exceptional, world-changing ideas make it through the gauntlet of judgment and critique, all the way through to conclusion, where they can deliver real, lasting value. That merely does not happen if no one is aware of them and enthusiastically supports them. And that requires effective communication and presentation expertise.
Communication is all too often the ignored, critical part of innovation. True, it’s not as sexy as all the other elements we tend to love hearing about, topics 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 idea isn't clearly and credibly presented to your collaborators and decision makers, it will merely fade away into the sunset.
We have all seen it happen, particularly in a brainstorm session. Somebody in the room comes up with an idea, a smart idea, one they believe in which has true potential. Unfortunately, the individual lacks the assertiveness and expertise to verbalize it persuasively. A louder voice and bigger ego in the group knocks it down, and there it lies. On occasion a sympathetic pal can pick up the thought and champion it to the room. However if a talented communicator doesn’t take up the challenge, it’s done for.
The good news is that communication and presentation skills can be learned and mastered by anybody. As with any other discipline, there are straightforward, proven methods and techniques which will help you speak with authority and affect the opinions and decisions of others. So if you are going to be a successful innovator, or even a contributor to the innovation process, you had better begin honing your communication skills.
Here are a few tips to help you more effectively sell your next great idea…
1. Know What You are Making an attempt to Achieve - Before you open your mouth, think for a moment about what you wish your words to actually get done. Are you trying to convince someone that your plan is the best there is, or merely one amongst several warranting additional consideration? Are you making an attempt to receive final approval for your plan or simply create the chance to present it up the pecking order? Is your idea absolutely fleshed out or just an embryonic idea? Such considerations can have a significant impact on what you say and the way you say it. So take a moment or two to think about what you would like to achieve before you speak, and you will have a much better chance of choosing the simplest words to help you attain your goal.
2. Recognize Who You’re Speaking To - One of the most surprising discoveries most individuals have when learning communication and presentation skills is that their audience usually doesn’t really care very much about what they're going 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 promote your plan, you need to understand ahead of time what the other person’s agenda is, what their goals and objectives are in the given scenario, and then frame your argument in the most effective means possible to allow them to grasp that you understand, and that your plan can help them achieve their goal. Will your plan make them (or their team) look good? Might it result in a bonus or praise from their supervisor? Is it so risky that they might be hesitant to support it? Bear in mind this number one secret of great communicators - know your audience well, and tell them what they need to hear. That's persuasive communication.
3. Understand What You’re Going to Say - Seems obvious, right? However how many times have you ever opened your mouth and come to the realization, almost instantaneously, that you simply were saying precisely the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time? If you’ve taken a few moments to focus on the first two steps, this third tip becomes a lot easier. What must you say to this person in order to urge them to respond the way you would like them to, right now? That’s precisely what you want to say at exactly this moment.
4. Know How You are Going to Say It - As the old saying goes, you'll catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. That said, you can kill a heap more with a flyswatter. Too meek or too pushy an approach will not get the result you want when presenting an idea for approval. How you deliver your message can be just as crucial as the message itself. Contemplate the situation. Is the mood positive and congenial or stressful and bellicose? Are ideas being rejected faster than they can be spoken, or is everybody being overly sympathetic and not really giving anything truthful, critical analysis? Are you on a tight deadline or do you have all the time in the world? Get a sense of what's going on in the room before you start selling. Make sure your style and attitude are assured, but appropriate.
Is it really possible to try and do all of these things in the middle of a brainstorm, or even a business pitch? Of course. Expert communicators and presenters do it every day. It simply takes some alertness, thought and practice. Don’t wait until your future depends on it. Begin using these four straightforward communication tips today. In no time you will be ready to think about all of these things in just a few seconds.
Many folks assume that being a confident, persuasive communicator is something you’re just born with. Nothing could be further from the truth. Communication is a skill. Learn it, perfect it, become a more valuable contributor to the innovation cycle - and start seeing more your ideas 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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