3 Steps to pitch your idea

What do convincing your friend to get pizza and asking your boss for a promotion have in common?

They're both about pitching an idea and getting someone to say yes!

No matter what you're pitching, there are a few strategies that can help you get to yes.

• Start with the big picture of your idea, before getting into the details.

• Build their understanding of your idea one piece at a time.

• If you start with the details, you'll give the person you're trying to convince more things to potentially disagree with.

• People will ask questions about the parts of your pitch they are most interested in.

E.g. pitch "pizza" before you try to get your friend to agree to pineapple.

E.g. start with the idea of a promotion, before you ask for a 15% raise.

• Explain your rationale for why the idea will work and the outcome it will lead to.

• You can highlight what the key challenges might be, and how you'd overcome it.

• This shows that you are prepared and have thought the idea through.

E.g., "I found a coupon for the new pizza place online. I know you wanted to try it, and it has great reviews."

E.g., "I trained Joy, and think I can add a lot of value if I were to take on a training role, helping all new employees."

• Be ready with a clear idea of what it would take to actually bring your idea to life.

• This is key to make sure your idea is realistic.

• This keeps things moving forward if someone says "yes!"

E.g., "I'll order the pizza for delivery."

E.g., "I can start by making a training guide."

Think about an idea you want someone to say yes to.