Have you ever been in a position where you pitch an idea only for it to be ignored, and then another person, perhaps a consultant, pitches the exact same thing and the management completely buys in? Even though the idea was the same, the approach in selling it probably wasn't. That makes all the difference. Let's say you were trying to sell a pen. The key here is to not sell the pen, but why the buyer would need a pen.
Sell the need, not the idea.
When the buyer genuinely feels the need, they will want to buy whatever you have that would fill that need. The following is technique consultants frequently use to sell the need.
In the 1960s, Barbara Minto was a consultant at renowned consulting agency, McKinsey, where she had developed what is now known as the “Pyramid Principle” which states that communication should be structured in a way the audience would be able to reach the same conclusions as what you are proposing. Communication should be simple, supported by evidence and sound reasoning.
One way of structuring communication is SCQA:
Situation: By communicating the situation clearly, this creates the foundation for shared understanding and what is to come. Answer the following questions in this part of the presentation: What is the situation that we are currently in? What does the audience need to know? What do we all currently agree on?
Complication: In this section, present the issues, challenges and complications that the audience needs to be aware of and care about. Support your claims with evidence and data. If this section is done well, you should receive acknowledgement and agreement.
Questions: When the situation is clear, and the complications are agreed on, next comes critical questions around what we will do to solve it. What questions must be answered here, if we are to solve the preceding complications?
Answers: This is where the proposal comes in. When the prior sections are done well, your audience will not only be open to what you’re suggesting but wanting it. This is where the audience will want what you have to sell.
Another technique in structuring your content is to use the rule of 3s:
Use three examples to illustrate a point.
Use three points to communicate a message.
User three steps to describe a process.
Why three? Three is the smallest number of points to form a pattern which can be easily remembers. I personally find that when things come in threes, there is a certain kind of beauty to it.
The next time you find yourself trying to sell an idea, give the Minto method a try and let me know how it works for you.
Shoutout
: I first learnt the Minto Method from CTO Daniel Walters. Check out his Substack on focusing on outcomes.