Seven Elements You Need to Sell Ideas

Communication: The seller has to be a good communicator both in writing and verbally, though verbal skills are more important because big ideas are usually sold in person.

Body language: A seller's posture, hand gestures and facial expressions will help potential buyers sense if he has confidence in his plan.

Imagery: Listeners need help visualizing a speaker's proposition. When the government let Lehman Brothers(LEHMQ Quote) go under, it was important to show that other companies needed to be helped to prevent a chain reaction. Comparing the situation to a train wreck or a series of dominos would have improved the average person's understanding of the consequences of not helping other financial institutions.

Easy-to-understand explanations: This is the most important part of selling an idea and an area in which Obama has fallen short. I was recently on a train in Atlanta with thousands of people who had gone to a tea party to protest government aid for financial companies and automakers. They didn't understand why the government stepped in to help these industries. Obama didn't sufficiently explain that letting a major bank fail is like shutting down a region's electricity or water provider. There needs to be enough banks to lend to other companies, otherwise jobs and stock investments would be at risk. It was also important to make sure foreign investors could feel confident in the U.S. If there's no money flowing to businesses, they won't have the juice to pay their bills.

Annette Simmons wrote a good book on the subject called Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins (Amacom 2007). It helps readers construct compelling stories that illustrate their visions and the reasons behind them. She provides a variety of storytelling methods. After all, great ideas are sold through confident pitch masters who offer simple messages backed by facts everyone can understand.