How to Pitch Ideas to The Boss
By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer
Thanks for finding the Relevant Leaders Club, this is a resource for leaders who want to take away new ideas to boost your business and your career. It’s also a forum to help make everyone a better leader.
Today’s lesson is this. You have an idea you think will revolutionize your division or propel your company into the Fortune 100. How do you pitch THAT IDEA to the boss?
- Step 1: Take the time to put your proposal in writing. And be organized. State the problem. State how that problem is currently being solved (or not) and finally, explain why your idea makes sense. It needs to make money, save money, save time, and/or increase effectiveness. A written proposal shows that you’ve spent a lot of time “thinking this through.”
- Step 2: Give your “proposal” to a handful of people you respect…people who will give you their honest feedback. This will allow you the chance to consider objections you may not have thought of.
- Step 3: If the feedback is good, ask your coworkers if they would support your idea. The purpose of getting buy-in from peers is so that you can go to The Boss with a consensus, “I think we have an opportunity to boost revenue (or save money) and I’ve got the support of Lorraine in Accounting and the sales manager. ”
- Step 4: When you finally make your presentation to The Boss, be confident and enthusiastic. Show The Boss how much you care about this and that you are willing to do the heavy lifting to make your idea successful. Know the material you’ve prepared inside out. Give The Boss your projected R.O.I. and this is important…when it comes to numbers, be conservative and realistic. Avoid fluffing up your proposal with fantasy projections using hyperbole like, “This is going to rock our industry” or “This is going to blow our competitors out of the water.” It’s an idea! How could you possibly know if what you have is that revolutionary?!
Now, If you’ve done all of that, and the Boss still hedges with, “I just don’t see it working at this time.” And here’s the encore Number (5)
- Step 5: Ask the boss to consider a low cost OR no cost trial run. Say something like, “Can we at least do a small trial run and see what our customers and clients think? I’ll make sure we stay under any budget you like and I’ll bring the raw numbers back to you in real time.” I’ve been at the C-Suite meetings and I have personally seen how hard it is for the Boss to turn down a low risk exploratory test like that. If you still get push back, stop pushing and don’t be discouraged. You’ve done everything right. You have done your due diligence. You got buy-in from other key people in your organization. And You gave senior leaders a realistic ROI. They will look at you differently next time. You’re a player now. Next time, you will get your ideas heard faster and with much friendlier ears.
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