One of the biggest challenges everyone in business faces is getting a recommendation approved--whether it be a costly new technology program, a new hire, the close of a big sale, or a request for promotion. People pitch ideas every day. And every day they get shot down.
The problem: all too often the focus is on the analysis and data and not on the communication.
At the heart of getting your pitch approved is making your audience care about it. The best way to make them care is to explain how your idea advances their agenda. Show them how your recommendation drives a result they're interested in. The way you make this linkage is through the creation of the core idea.
Author Mike Figliuolo addresses this dilemma in his new book, "THE ELEGANT PITCH: Drive Your Concept to Completion in Efficient, Effective, and Engaging Ways."
"We can only break out of this dysfunctional communication dynamic by changing the way we approach making a pitch, which is fundamentally different than the 'get data, draw conclusion' mindset," explains Figliuolo. "A hypothesis-driven approach is designed to focus on the central idea of your pitch and build logical, as well as, stakeholder support for it."
Source: Mike Figliuolo: The Elegant Pitch
Self-Coaching Leadership Books in ebook or paperback editions: