Have a good idea, but reluctant to share it with others? Here’s a useful checklist to help you present your ideas confidently.
How often have you had a great idea that you set aside because bringing it to fruition just seemed too challenging? Whether the idea involves designing a cutting-edge app, implementing a creative new marketing campaign or drawing up a business plan to pitch to investors, proper planning before the “presentation phase” can make all the difference in the world, whether or not your idea becomes a reality.
The best ways to bolster confidence are to trust your bold ideas, do your homework and be prepared. Here are eight tips for pitching innovative ideas with confidence:
- Consider the audience.Will you be presenting your idea internally, to colleagues or a boss, or will there be a range of stakeholders present? Taking into account the particular audience will help determine how formal your presentation needs to be in tone and the scope of detail, and it also will help you anticipate any questions the audience may have.
- Do your homework. Thinking about the presentation’s audience, as well as the eventual client, customer or end-user, will help inform your research process. For example, if you’re presenting an idea to launch a new nonprofit and representatives from various foundations will be present, investigate the mission of the respective foundations to determine how your proposal’s core values resonate with the stakeholders’ values.
- Collaborate and innovate. Research suggests that collaboration leads to innovation. If this is a big project, ask yourself if you can do it all alone or if it might be wise to find a collaborator. Whose skill set would be a good match with yours? If you’re a creative type and drawing up a business plan is uncharted territory, perhaps you have a colleague in mind who might help balance out your skill set. Collaborating will help you figure out the scope of your project—whether it’s something you have the time and resources to do alone or it would benefit from the involvement of more people at this stage.
- Make time for a practice run. It’s always a good idea to practice a presentation—how long it will take, how much time you’ll need for Q&A—so ask a trusted colleague, partner or friend to be your audience for a practice run. Ask your ally to take notes and give you constructive feedback. Were you speaking too quickly? Are you going into too much detail too early on? It’s better to get this input before the presentation rather than after so that your idea has a better chance of becoming reality.
- Enlist others’ expertise. If you are not a design whiz but you’re presenting to a team of design pros, don’t hesitate to ask a colleague for help with the look and feel of your presentation. If you’ve grown tired of PowerPoint, consider doing your presentation in Prezi or Keynote. If the audience you’re presenting to is younger or considers themselves cutting-edge with technology, these options could positively influence their perception of your presentation.
- Don’t rush the brainstorming stage. As you’re dreaming up your creative idea, let your imagination run wild; try not to censor yourself. If you have nagging doubts about the viability of the project, simply write them down to file away for later. Ultimately, taking potential obstacles into account could help you sharpen your idea once it’s more developed. When you’re in the brainstorming stage, though, anything goes. Try writing ideas longhand in a notebook and jotting down any thoughts, however wild, that might occur to you. The most innovative ideas often seem a bit outlandish at first.
- Less is more. After you’ve gone through the early brainstorming stage and narrowed down the focus of your presentation, try to focus on its main three ideas or concepts. While you want to be thorough, you don’t have to include all the details in your presentation. You can always create a supplementary document that lists more details than those which the presentation itself incorporates. If the presentation goes well, chances are the audience will get the chance to hear more information at a later date.
- Timing is everything. Make sure you’re not only ready to do the presentation, but that the timing is right for your stakeholders: your boss, your team, any external audience. In all your excitement to present the idea, you want to make sure the timing is optimal, whether that is dependent upon the fiscal quarter, your colleagues’ busy schedule or your boss’ upcoming vacation plans. Trust your instincts and find a time that works for everyone. Under optimal conditions and with proper planning, the audience will get the chance to see just how innovative your idea is.
Join the dialogue: What else do you find helps you summon the confidence you need before presenting a new idea?
Diana Gomez, Marketing Coordinator at Lyoness America
Diana Gomez is Marketing Coordinator at Lyoness America, where she is instrumental in the implementation of marketing and social media strategies for the U.S. and Canada. Lyoness is an international shopping community and loyalty rewards program, where businesses and consumers benefit with free membership and money back with every purchase.
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- Presenting Bold New Ideas With Confidence - May 19, 2014
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