So, let's get started. How do you sell your ideas?

1. Strategic Positioning 2. Savvy Psychology 3. Slick Presentation 4. Structural Persuasion 5. Solving Problem

Of course I can't give you a complete course in this article, but I can supply you with enough knowledge to become a dangerous adversary in your battle to be heard.

1. Strategic Position:

To sell an idea you must have a strategy. Before you begin defining your selling idea, you must create and define a strategy. Your strategy could be as simple as this; "Our strategy is to gain awareness of dangerous effects that radon presents to public and to offer a free detection device. On discovery of danger, we offer a 1-800 number on detection device to sell our abatement service to effected clients". Or your strategy could be a complex and diverse plan of attack including TV, Radio, Newspaper and Internet Advertising Campaigns. Whatever your strategy may be, most important is that you believe in it. If you don't believe in your selling strategy, you have a poor chance in convincing client to believe in it.

2. Savvy Psychology:

Selling an idea in any form really comes down to "talking to people". Think about how they feel when they read, see and/or listen to your selling idea. The principle of writing up a good selling idea is in presentation. Learn to involve others in your selling idea and presentation. Test your ideas out on friends, family and peers involved in your industry. Listen to what they have to say. They will often have very valuable input and will help to make your selling idea better.

Pay close attention to psychology of your client. You client will have one question in mind, "What's in it for me"? Understanding that one point alone can be difference between success and failure. You need to gain insight into how client will feel and react to your presentation. This is Savvy Psychology in action!

3. Slick Presentation:

DON'T ever give your prospective client feeling of "This person is just here to sell me something" or conveying even smallest inkling that portrays "Selling".

DO always "help" your client arrive at fact that your are here to provide a service or product that they want and need. You are not there to sell; you are there to help.

DON'T go into "Salesperson Overdrive". There are many of you out there, including myself, that must fight urge to SELL or to Dominate prospect. Whether you know it or not, you are setting yourself (and prospect) up for that final decision, "Yes Or No, What Will It Be"? You end up in situation which most of us despise, "The Sell".

Your entire Business Persona should be a Soft Persuasion. This means that you never try to make your prospect see things your way, It's quite opposite actually. Soft Persuasion is in Packaging. It's way you package your company, yourself and your product or service. I don't mean box it comes in. When I speak of packaging, I mean way you portray your company and yourself. It should be a positive and confident portrayal, not an overbearing one.

Hard Persuasion too often comes back to bite you in ass. Hard Persuasion separates you from your prospect, moving them away from you. Nobody likes to be bullied, and that's what Hard Persuasion or Hard Sell comes down to. No matter how nicely you do it, you are bullying them into seeing things your way. This is not to say that there are not some of you who can make this work, but for most of us Hard Sell Close is a feat that is beyond our capabilities. This is because we are business professionals and technical experts, not seasoned sales people.

Approach your prospect as if they are already a client. Assume this because they truly need your service, not because you want to make sale. How you see and treat your prospective client is how they will see themselves. Perception is a strong tool to be used wisely.