Go find an angel - By R. Sridhar |
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MY client and I were discussing his brand.
It was going through a tough time. It was suffering from several problems
- low consumer acceptance, poor offtake and stiff competition. I had gone
prepared with a number of ideas on what we could do to improve things. My
client listened to me patiently, smiled and closed the meeting without any
decision. I came back feeling disappointed. I knew I had good ideas but
here was a client who was unwilling to listen. It was most frustrating.
As it happened, my Managing Director arrived the following week. Both of us visited this client. On our way, my MD wanted to know about the health of our relationship and the key business issues. I explained about the problems of the brand and the solution I had suggested. He seemed to agree with my ideas. The conversation ended there. When we met the client, he seemed very happy to meet my MD. They had known each other for a long time. After exchanging notes about several common friends, the discussion turned to business. My client explained the problem with the brand and the key issues he was grappling with. He did not mention a word of the discussions he and I had. My MD suggested the very same ideas I had shared with the client the previous week. He was repeating verbatim what I had discussed with him. I was watching this interaction with keen interest. As the discussion proceeded, I found that the client was most receptive and was almost willing to act on the ideas. To cap it all he said, "You know, this is why I look forward to your visits. You bring fresh ideas and bring in so much clarity too." I was quite surprised by my client's reaction. In fact, I was quite upset. I had presented the very same ideas and he just fobbed me off. When my MD presented the ideas, he loved them. Why is it that he was willing to accept the very same ideas he had rejected just the previous week? As we came back, my MD could sense my disappointment with the meeting. I did not seem happy with the thought the client had finally accepted my ideas. I was more concerned with the fact that the client did not accept the ideas when I presented them. Later in the evening, my MD explained in detail the dynamics of how clients respond to new ideas. How they seek to avoid risk by looking at who presents the ideas, and their credibility. I did not understand much of what he said until much later. I happened to read a very good book, Selling Dreams, by Guy Kawasaki. It is a fascinating book about the launch of Apple computer. He explains how it is important to find a sponsor or an angel for your idea. I have since been testing this concept. Many people have confirmed how it is a smart thing to find a powerful champion for your idea rather than try promoting it yourself. People who come up with good ideas may not be very good in persuading others to buy into the idea. Very often, they are also poor communicators. In some cases even if the idea was sound and their communication powerful, they may lack the credibility that adds weight to the idea. Therefore, it is useful to understand:
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In essence, people with ideas must think of a strategy to get their ideas accepted. It does not happen automatically. Seasoned idea promoters use a technique called `Help' & `Hinder'. The question is who or what can `help' me get the idea through and who or what will `hinder' my idea and why.
What makes it complicated is the issue of ownership. In addition, the fear of losing control over your idea. It is because of this that most people avoid looking for a champion or an angel. Sometimes it is also because of the wishful thinking that "I can do it myself."
Another way is to find a collaborator or a coach. Someone who is able to look at your idea from various perspectives. Look at it from the point of view of different people. The end user/beneficiary, the influencer, the decision-maker and the person who is willing to invest on it. Ask all the questions and voice all the concerns. It helps you refine the idea to make it more useful and acceptable.
One example I can think of is the relationship that creative directors and client service directors have in advertising agencies. Very often creative directors have great ideas and their client service partners help them articulate their ideas and present them effectively to clients. This could work equally well between people in R&D and the commercial/marketing functions.
The principle is simple. If you believe you have a great idea, do not risk trying to sell it by yourself. Find an angel. Alternatively, a collaborator or a coach. They help you with the fuel to let your idea fly.
(The writer is a creativity consultant & Partner, IDEASRS.)
