How to Sell an Idea to Your Boss

You’ve got a great idea in your mind. Something that can double the sales, land a huge clientele or help the company reach new audiences.

Deep inside, you know that it’s a kickass idea. All of a sudden, you start feeling anxious and all the excitement takes a back seat.

We all feel jittery while pitching an idea to our boss, don’t we?

It isn’t a cakewalk to convince him/her to give your idea a shot. A lot of thinking and factors come into play before your boss gives you a nod.

Through my progression from an employee to now a boss at ProofHub, I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. So, I’d like to share a few pointers on how to successfully sell an idea to your boss.

Here we go:

Find the win for your organization

People come with ideas every now and then. Some of them being really good but unfortunately, most of them does not align with interests of the company. Before you pitch, ask yourself how will your idea is going to benefit the company.

If you’ve got this right, 80% of the job is already done.

Bosses are always looking out for ways to generate more revenue, improve the culture, better tools, or anything benefits the company, him, and the team. Do some brainstorming and find ‘the win’ for your organization.

Manage work easier, faster, and better. Try ProofHub today. 

Pitch your idea to colleagues and friends first

It’s always a good idea and a safe choice to present your pitch to people whose opinion matters the most to you. They can be team members, friends, family members, or even someone in senior in your company.

Not just it would be a great warm-up but their questions and feedback can help you spot the loopholes and improve your overall pitch.

Ask them about little things such as posture, choice of words, voice as they are essential ingredients to a perfect pitch.

Communicate the way he likes to communicate

Most people don’t know the right way to approach things both professionally and personally. A smart individual will always gauge whether it’s the right time to talk about something serious or not

Figure out whether your boss is a Let’s-chat-about-it-over-a-coffee-or-drinks or We-should-book-a-meeting type of a person.

Some managers prefer to be sent a one-page outline first while others might be casual about it. Know the likes, moods, and preferences of your boss. Talk to others to know what tactics seem to work best.

Be prepared for tough questions

Make sure you fully understand what the problem is and can justify why your idea is so important. The moment you would walk up to him to talk about it, be prepared to be bombarded with a lot of questions.

Before going to him, ask the following questions to yourself:

• What is the problem and how your idea will be the perfect solution?
• How much is it going to cost to the company?
• What is the success ratio of this idea?
• Will you need additional staff, resources, or space? If yes, how much?

No matter how good your idea is, your boss might grill you with some tough questions. Make sure you have answers to them.

Your turn to persuade your boss to try new ideas

By now, you might have realized that it isn’t that tough to sell an idea to a boss. You can convince him with a little prep and tact.

That said, don’t get disheartened if he rejects your idea. There is nothing personal about it as they see things with an eagle’s view and they want nothing but the best for the company.

Author Bio:

Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub — a leading project management and collaboration software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organizations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!” instead of “Go!” many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.