How to Sell An Idea to Advance Your Career

There’s a good article over at BNET about selling your ideas to your company.  They give the following 5 steps to help turn your idea into an actual project at work.  People with ideas make the most valuable employees.  Unfortunately, ideas in your head aren’t worth anything.  You’ve got to do something with your ideas if you want to advance in your cosmetic science career.

5 Steps to Sell Your Idea

1. Confirm that you and your idea are a credible match. - If you’re not a plausible messenger for the idea, nobody will take you seriously.

2. Frame your idea within a strong narrative. - Tell a story to illustrate your idea.

3. Map the idea to the perspective of the decision. - Make the idea relevant to your audience.

4. Reduce or eliminate downside risk. - Think out objections to the idea & how you’ll address them.

5. Close the deal. - After presenting your idea get agreement on the next step.

Do you have ideas that you haven’t done anything with?  Are you going to try to get them implemented now?  Leave a comment and let us know.