Comments on: How to get your company to listen to your ideas http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:23:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: nate http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-148268 nate Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:03:27 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-148268 I work for a car dealership that wants to increase their sales by 40 car per month...the company's goal is to sell 200 cars but we have never hit it under the leadership we ar4e under...I have done really well with sells and they will not listen to the ideas that will get them to the 200 and it's right berfore their faces...and I can see it but they can't and will not listen... I work for a car dealership that wants to increase their sales by 40 car per month…the company's goal is to sell 200 cars but we have never hit it under the leadership we ar4e under…I have done really well with sells and they will not listen to the ideas that will get them to the 200 and it's right berfore their faces…and I can see it but they can't and will not listen…

]]> By: M http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-146499 M Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:42:05 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-146499 I think managers need to do a better job listening to their employees rather than the employees having to learn how to talk to them. If a company isn't willing to listen to my ideas, I give up. I shouldn't have to work to hard to provide ideas that make the company better. I think managers need to do a better job listening to their employees rather than the employees having to learn how to talk to them. If a company isn't willing to listen to my ideas, I give up. I shouldn't have to work to hard to provide ideas that make the company better.

]]> By: M.B.Orits http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-136098 M.B.Orits Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:11:42 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-136098 selling ideas cannever be hard. just go out and sell it. keep trying and trust God for your success. selling ideas cannever be hard. just go out and sell it. keep trying and trust God for your success.

]]> By: DeanW http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56187 DeanW Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:43:05 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56187 Well, speaking of credibility...next time I'll spell check better for "and" and "insidious." Well, speaking of credibility…next time I'll spell check better for "and" and "insidious."

]]> By: DeanW http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56185 DeanW Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:39:07 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56185 Dave's comment is indeed true. And, there are ways around the "new/young/inexperienced" label. Find an innovative mentor. As a Boomer in his 40s, I can tell you that I invite fresh ideas and often lend my personal credibility as back-up to a younger, less experienced person's great idea. Here's a key point: only when there is a tipping point of buy-in do I explain fully that the credit is due to the younger person. (This should be agreed upon by both of you beforehand, so s/he knows how they will earn credibility with your help, and that you are NOT going to take credit for their brilliance. It helps if they can attend the meeting where the final buy-in will take place, so you can introduce and credit them appropriately.) You see, some of us Boomers and others aren't really stale and uninterested. Like Millennials, Xers and Ys, we may be frustrated with the insideous business-as-usual thinking we face daily, adn so we welcome fresh thinking from people closer to the action outside of our bureaucracy...people who interact, communicate, experience life differently from us. People with less corporate baggage and history weighing them down. Yeah, we need you. BTW, Ryan Healy's post "Twentysomething" on Brazen Careerist offers great ideas for a better workplace for all...not just twentysomethings. - Dean Dave's comment is indeed true. And, there are ways around the "new/young/inexperienced" label. Find an innovative mentor. As a Boomer in his 40s, I can tell you that I invite fresh ideas and often lend my personal credibility as back-up to a younger, less experienced person's great idea. Here's a key point: only when there is a tipping point of buy-in do I explain fully that the credit is due to the younger person. (This should be agreed upon by both of you beforehand, so s/he knows how they will earn credibility with your help, and that you are NOT going to take credit for their brilliance. It helps if they can attend the meeting where the final buy-in will take place, so you can introduce and credit them appropriately.)

You see, some of us Boomers and others aren't really stale and uninterested. Like Millennials, Xers and Ys, we may be frustrated with the insideous business-as-usual thinking we face daily, adn so we welcome fresh thinking from people closer to the action outside of our bureaucracy…people who interact, communicate, experience life differently from us. People with less corporate baggage and history weighing them down. Yeah, we need you.

BTW, Ryan Healy's post "Twentysomething" on Brazen Careerist offers great ideas for a better workplace for all…not just twentysomethings.

- Dean

]]> By: Hunter Arnold http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56164 Hunter Arnold Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:36:39 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-56164 These are great steps. The company I work for holds an annual competition that solicits new business ideas. The process is open - anyone can participate. And the process quite similar to what you've outlined - the employee solves a problem by proposing a new revenue stream, goes through rounds of interviews and competition to package and sell their ideas to executives, and learns about project funding by actually leading the implementation of the winning business idea. Those who don't win still have the advantage of exposing themselves to our executive team and having worked through a business plan start to finish. The experience of thinking through and presenting an idea will pay off when you're expected to come up with and be held accountable for ideas further down the line in your career. * * * * * * <I>That's so cool that your company does that, Hunter. You should tell everyone the name of the company --- good place to look for a job. --Penelope</I> These are great steps. The company I work for holds an annual competition that solicits new business ideas. The process is open - anyone can participate. And the process quite similar to what you've outlined - the employee solves a problem by proposing a new revenue stream, goes through rounds of interviews and competition to package and sell their ideas to executives, and learns about project funding by actually leading the implementation of the winning business idea. Those who don't win still have the advantage of exposing themselves to our executive team and having worked through a business plan start to finish. The experience of thinking through and presenting an idea will pay off when you're expected to come up with and be held accountable for ideas further down the line in your career.

* * * * * *

That's so cool that your company does that, Hunter. You should tell everyone the name of the company — good place to look for a job.

–Penelope

]]> By: AjiNIMC - Gmail a part of my personal nerve center http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55953 AjiNIMC - Gmail a part of my personal nerve center Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:46:11 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55953 One of the task I do is handling innovation centers (around 7 by now). This is to shorten the distance between idea, source and the heads. Innovation centers is visible to everyone and people can buy other's ideas. If your idea is picked by any team then you are nominated for innovation awards. I am also planning for a count or a score for each team member. This will highlight the smarter. A lot to write but at work. One of the task I do is handling innovation centers (around 7 by now). This is to shorten the distance between idea, source and the heads. Innovation centers is visible to everyone and people can buy other's ideas. If your idea is picked by any team then you are nominated for innovation awards. I am also planning for a count or a score for each team member. This will highlight the smarter. A lot to write but at work.

]]> By: Dave http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55937 Dave Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:37:31 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55937 If you are young, I think that the biggest obstacle to getting your ideas adopted is your own lack of a track record. Face it: Trust comes from Demonstrated Competence. If your idea contains much risk, the lack of a 'been there, done that" t-shirt probably means that you won't be taken seriously in most corporations. Tragic but true. * * * * * * <I>Yes, this is true. But you have to start somewhere. And everyone's gotta get their break. One way to get the break is to be good at selling an idea. Another way to get the break is to be good at networking and make someone like you enough to give you a chance. For best results, do both :) --Penelope</I> If you are young, I think that the biggest obstacle to getting your ideas adopted is your own lack of a track record. Face it: Trust comes from Demonstrated Competence. If your idea contains much risk, the lack of a 'been there, done that" t-shirt probably means that you won't be taken seriously in most corporations. Tragic but true.

* * * * * *

Yes, this is true. But you have to start somewhere. And everyone's gotta get their break. One way to get the break is to be good at selling an idea. Another way to get the break is to be good at networking and make someone like you enough to give you a chance. For best results, do both :)

–Penelope

]]> By: Dave http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55910 Dave Thu, 12 Apr 2007 02:41:25 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/04/11/learn-to-sell-your-ideas-to-your-company/#comment-55910 One thing I've found is that ideas are easy, implementation is hard. Few ideas are truly new, what is new is if you can demonstrate how to actually make it happen within the organization without breaking something else or wasting resources. So don't expect people to just say, "oh, wow, we never thought of that before." More often, there are many unstated assumptions about why it cannot be done. You need to learn what those unstated assumptions are and solve for them; otherwise your great idea appears to fall on deaf ears. * * * * * * * <I>This is a great point, Dave -- worthy of a separate post, really. Because an idea that you don't know how to implement is a pipe dream. Pipe dreams are great if it's your own startup, but in a large company, the less it  sounds like a dream the easier it will be to sell. --Penelope</I> One thing I've found is that ideas are easy, implementation is hard. Few ideas are truly new, what is new is if you can demonstrate how to actually make it happen within the organization without breaking something else or wasting resources. So don't expect people to just say, "oh, wow, we never thought of that before." More often, there are many unstated assumptions about why it cannot be done. You need to learn what those unstated assumptions are and solve for them; otherwise your great idea appears to fall on deaf ears.

* * * * * * *

This is a great point, Dave — worthy of a separate post, really. Because an idea that you don't know how to implement is a pipe dream. Pipe dreams are great if it's your own startup, but in a large company, the less it  sounds like a dream the easier it will be to sell.

–Penelope

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