Do you have an ACE of an IDEA? Selling your ideas is not always (if ever) easy! Leading change and innovation means accepting a challenge that others often overlook, have tried or maybe gave up on. Leaders and entrepreneurs alike innovate, experiment and take risks. We challenge the system to turn our ideas into action. However, no one can not go it alone! Every idea needs mentorship, championing, and testing over and over. More times than not feedback does not start out on our side. More times than not we do not know what we do not know. And more times than not, we may want to give up and just crawl under a blanket.
Consider the following quotes:
- “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Charles Duell, Commissioner of Patents, 1899
- “Guitar Music is on it’s way out.” Decca Records turning down the Beatles 1962
Consider this as well; 31-year-old George Lucas experienced 84 long excruciating days filming Star Wars. Things did not work, sand storms cause issues with robots, radio communications were blocked during filming many days causing great grief and delays. Lucas was certain the film would be terrible! “The shoot was a disaster from the very beginning. I was depressed about the whole thing.” George Lucas: A Life
He did not give up, he continued on. George credits the voice of his father in his head: “Apply yourself, George, everything is possible!”
Here are a few strategies can you use to keep going and to make your ACE of an Idea come to life:
- Apply yourself constantly! We live in a place where everything is possible. Failures are part of life and learning but you must keep going. Working a new idea takes a lot of effort and sometimes a long time. If you truly believe in your idea, others will too. Apply formula: Build a solid story around your idea + Practice telling your story ( Facts, Figures, Metaphors and the 3R’s: Risks, Rewards, Returns) + People that believe in your story = More people that believe in your IDEA.
- Take the long-tail view! It takes time. You may gain immediate interest but you want more feedback and you want to talk to those that do not get it. These are the people that will impact your ideas 10 fold. Getting an idea sold to the masses takes a lot of feedback good and not so good, a lot of trial and errors and a lot of hard work.
- Surround yourself with Believers! By having positive feedback and believers around you, it will be easier to take the negative or critical feedback and put that input into good use. Selling new ideas can be lonely in the beginning. Keep that great cheerleading team close to you throughout the process. Get to together often whether in coworking space, or at the office where you hold lunch and learns your company, or after work Ace of an IDEA networking sessions, surround yourself with great people and brilliant minds.
- Share the Believe video – motivation never hurts
- Embrace Risk as Your Best Friend: Risk is inherent when you give birth to an idea. Taking big risks can send your fear meter into a new stratosphere. Common systems are waking up at 3am sweaty and anxious, feeling depressed or even worse paralyzed. Make the process of taking on new risks your friend. See the process with a lens that keeps your dreams and ambitions in perspective and on track. When things don’t go as planned along the way, stay focused on the mission at hand and do not allow disruption to set you backward. This is all part of disrupting, inventing and creating something new!
- Celebrate small steps and successes! Whether you have drinks with friends, take Spa day or go to a long overdue yoga class… make it celebratory.
The journey is to be enjoyed, albeit scary sometimes, enjoy it!
Learn More:
Flip through our trends ebook, download Turning Trends Into Products: A CEO’s Checklist For Succes
Follow Teresa Spangler @composerspang or Plazabridge Group @plazabridge
Teresa Spangler is a business and revenue growth strategist, an innovator with a bias toward disruption and loves designing experiential events that highly engage communities and customers. As a futurist, she often speaks on trends, disruptive technologies, new sales strategies, and invention. She also covers topics on technology adoption, leadership, women in leadership and growth during rapid economic changes. She is the author of the Game of Life Book Series, a contributing author to OpenForum. Click to learn more about Plazabridge Group.
