Just how many earth shattering ideas do you think have been thought up over the ages, yet no one ever heard about them?
Just how many times each day do you envision a brilliant concept is told to a supervisor, only to be shot down and silenced forever?
Just how many inventive geniuses do you think are really in a position to effectively communicate and present their concepts to other people? Not everyone is able to be a Steve Jobs. In fact, very few folks are. That is one of the most important reasons why Steve Jobs isas successful as he is.
Creativity and innovative thinking don’t really rely on lucid, powerful communication. Genius scientists with negligible social skills dream up miraculous concepts within the privacy of their labs every day. However bona fide innovation requires that those remarkable, game-changing concepts make it through the obstacle course of judgment and evaluation, all the way through to completion, where they'll deliver true, lasting value. That simply doesn't happen if no one has awareness of them and heartily accepts them. And that requires effective communication and presentation skills.
Communication is commonly the ignored, critical element of innovation. True, it is not as compelling as all those other parts we have a tendency to enjoy reading about, subjects like strategic implementation, enhanced value, creative ideation, disruptive technology, elegant design and a dozen or so other overused business cliches. But in the end, if your brilliant concept is not lucidly and believably presented to your collaborators and decision makers, it will merely fade away into the sunset.
We’ve all seen it happen, especially during a brainstorm session. Someone at the table thinks up an idea, a good idea, one they like which has true merit. Sadly, they lacks the skills and expertise to speak about it convincingly. A bigger voice and bigger ego in the meeting shoots it down, and there it lies. On occasion a encouraging comrade will pick up the concept and defend it to the group. However if a skilled communicator doesn’t take up the challenge, it’s dead.
The good news is that communication and presentation skills can be learned and mastered by anybody. As with all disciplines, there are easy, proven strategies and techniques that may help 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 a few tips to help you sell your next good idea…
1. Recognize What You are Attempting to Achieve - Before you open your mouth, think for a few moments about what you wish your words to actually achieve. Are you trying to convince somebody that your plan is the best there is, or simply one of several meriting additional consideration? Are you trying to get final approval for your plan or merely create the opportunity to present it up the pecking order? Is your idea fully fleshed out or just a vague concept? Such issues will have a big impact on what you say and the way you say it. So take a moment or two to consider what you want to attain before you speak, and you will have a much better probability of selecting the most effective words to help you attain your goal.
2. Know Who You are Talking To - One of the great discoveries most people have when mastering communication and presentation skills is that their audience often doesn’t really care all that much about what they want to say. Truth is, the individuals you present your plan to only care about one thing… what’s in it for them. To promote your plan, you need to perceive ahead of time what the other person’s agenda is, what their objectives are in the given situation, and then frame your communication in the best manner possible to let them grasp that you understand, and that your idea can help them accomplish their goal. Can your idea make them (or their team) look smart? May it end in a bonus or praise from their managers? Is it so risky that they could be worried about supporting it? Keep in mind this number one secret of great communicators - know your audience well, and tell them what they have to hear. That is persuasive communication.
3. Understand What You are 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 incorrect thing at precisely the wrong time? If you have taken a few moments to concentrate on the first 2 steps, this third tip becomes considerably simpler. What do you have to say to this person in order to induce them to react the way you'd like them to, right now? That’s exactly what you would like to say at precisely this moment.
4. Recognize How You are Going to Say It - As the saying goes, you'll catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. However, you'll kill a ton more with a flyswatter. Too meek or too bold an approach will not do the trick when presenting an idea for approval. How you deliver your message will be just as crucial as the message itself. Consider the situation. Is the mood optimistic and congenial or stressful and bellicose? Are ideas being rejected quicker than they can be spoken, or is everyone being overly supportive and not really giving anything true, critical analysis? Are you on a tight deadline or do you have plenty of time? Get a sense of what's going on in the room before you begin speaking. Make sure your approach and tone are confident, but appropriate.
Is it truly possible to try to do all of these steps in the middle of a brainstorm, or even a business presentation? Of course. Expert communicators and presenters do it every day. It simply takes a bit of consciousness, concentration and preparation. Don’t wait till your job depends on it. Begin using these four easy communication tips today. In no time at all you will be ready to consider all of these things in just a few seconds.
Many people suppose that being a assured, persuasive communicator is something you’re simply born with. Nothing could be further from the truth. Communication is a skill. Learn it, master it, become a more valuable player in the innovation cycle - and start seeing a lot more of 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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