How To Convince People to Join Your Idea
You’ve got an idea, and you’re convinced it’s a good one. Turning it into a viable business requires getting others on board with your idea. Whether it be potential investors, people with technical skills, or potential customers, at some point you have to convince enough people of the merits of your idea or it will never get off the ground.
Selling an idea is a lot harder than selling a product or service, which is why some Ideators struggle with this phase of the process. The following techniques can help refine your pitch and encourage others to join your idea.
Network, Network, Network
In some ways, starting a new business is a numbers game. The more people you can connect with, the greater the odds that some will take an interest in your idea. Social media and technology platforms like Ideator make it easy to efficiently network with a lot of people.
Sell Your Vision
When selling your idea, start off by describing the vision behind it and why it’s important to you. Explain how your idea will change the world, solve a problem, or make people’s lives better. Provide the big picture first; worry about the details later. At the same time, be prepared to provide evidence that you have researched the market and identified a legitimate need. No matter how inspiring the vision, people want to see that your idea has the traction to go somewhere.
Make It Real
Once you’ve hooked someone’s interest with a passionate explanation of your idea, they will want to discuss specific details. A working prototype can make a big difference by allowing people to see what the product looks like and how it will work. If you haven’t reached the stage where you can develop a prototype, at least have a well-written business plan that spells out the details of your idea.
Sell Yourself
An idea is only as good as your ability to make it happen. When you approach people, they will assess you and your capabilities just as carefully as the idea. Have a good elevator pitch ready to go so you can quickly and succinctly describe the idea and what it does. Then let your passion, personality, and commitment to making it happen shine through. Investors often invest in the person as much as the idea.
If you’re having trouble getting people to buy in to your idea, try starting a discussion thread on Ideator. Discussions range from marketing tactics to what makes a crowdfunding campaign successful, and if you don’t see your question being discussed, just ask! That way, you’ll get the feedback you need to sell your idea more effectively.
