Recently someone came to me upset after a tough interaction with his manager. He wasn’t fully prepared to present his idea and left dejected. An idea is only the first step, you have to make your manager believe that you have the ability to execute on it. So next time you have an idea for a new feature, product, or marketing plan, be prepared.

What you need to do to get your project off the ground is communicate its value clearly and quickly. In order to do that, you need to be prepared to communicate your idea in the right way.

How to be prepared

Write it out. You need to be to clearly articulate its value to your boss. By writing out your idea, you’ll be able to flesh your thoughts out and pull out the important bullet points you want to hit. Framing it in advance helps you crystalize your thinking.

Validate. Run it past a few people you respect and trust to give honest feedback.

Timing. You’ve worked with your boss for a long time, pick a time to meet when you think your boss will be receptive to good and new ideas. If it means taking your boss out for a drink after work, then discuss your idea over a beer. Monday mornings are probably never a good time to schedule a meeting. If you schedule a meeting and your boss is slammed with another project, reschedule your meeting.

Prepare an elevator pitch. Every idea you have you should be able to boil down into a quick, punchy thirty-second pitch. Your idea, solution, or product may be complex, but you are going to make it seem really simple. Why? Simple ideas are easier to understand, and easier to say “yes” to. If you have a 15 – 20 minutes meeting scheduled with your boss, focus on being succinct but ready to dive into detail as needed.

Dangle a carrot, a cookie, or a wad of cash. To persuade your boss you need to understand his or her motivations. Everyone is motivated by something, and your boss is no different. Money may not be the “bottom line” of what gets your boss excited. Focus on what your boss cares about. Use metrics whenever possible. Explain how your idea can increase revenue, drive usage, improve productivity.

Determine what you want. You should have one clear question, just one. Figure out the ask. Are you asking for money, people to help you, or simply permission to dedicate more of your time to this idea?

Be prepared to be poked. Do not abort ship when your boss asks you questions. Executives like to ask questions because it helps them establish context quickly. When the questions start, remember they are just trying to understand your idea.

Sometimes your boss will say no during the meeting. If your boss says no, ask them why. Don’t whine or get flustered, just simply try and understand. Ask them what’s missing. Find out what they didn’t they like about the idea. You need to find this out, because if they took the time to hear your idea then they may take the time to hear a revised version of your idea in the future.

If your boss says yes. Congratulations. The pitch is the easy part, now you have to deliver. The great thing about coming up with ideas, owning them, and believing in them is that your passion will help you succeed.

Cartoon by Ted Goff.

Photo of question mark by Stefan Baudy. Licensed under CC.