How to Properly Pitch Your Ideas in the Workplace

A lot of people have great ideas on how to improve their work environment, how to make productivity in the workplace greater, or how to enhance their company, but only a few people in a company ever seem to get their ideas heard and acted on. You can be one of the people who voice their ideas and have the managers paying attention to those ideas.

Take a maximum of 30 seconds – clarity is important

To begin with you are going to have to make a pitch of your idea in less than thirty seconds. You need to think about exactly what you are trying to pitch and what changes your idea will make in the workplace. Rehearse what you want to say until you can make a short explanation of what you are trying to do in thirty seconds or less.
Remember that your pitch should be to the point. Keep it simple and to the point. Do not confuse the listener with too many details. Save the details for when they show true interest in the idea.
You have to identify the problem you are trying to resolve and the steps you are suggesting to resolve that problem. Remember to keep this simple and do not confuse the listener with too many details at this time.

Have a rough estimate of how much it would cost to implement the idea

You need to have an outline of approximately how much it will cost the company to implement the ideas that you have.
You should go to colleagues that you truly trust and pitch your idea to them. Be willing to listen to their feedback and make changes to your pitch if necessary. Your colleagues will be your sounding board before you go to see the managers that can implement your ideas.
Once you have practiced the pitch, and you are sure of what you are going to say, and sure that other people will understand what you are saying then it is time to approach your superior with your ideas.

Timing is everything – catch your superior when he is in the best mood

Some people like to approach the superiors when they are at lunch, or on break. This allows them to pitch their idea while the superior is relaxed and more likely to pay attention. Some people prefer to make an appointment and talk to their superior in their office, so they can formally pitch their idea to them. I can tell you that both of these methods work and you should make your pitch when you are the most comfortable.
Before you make the short pitch make sure you have clearly thought the whole idea out and have a plan of action for each step that it would take to implement your idea. If your superior is interested in your idea, they will have questions and you want to be able to answer those questions completely and in great detail.
The best idea in the world can be lost to improper planning. Make sure you have thought out the possible scenarios that will make the idea work, and what things could go wrong. Provide all of the pros and cons so your idea can be taken seriously.