Are you uncomfortable with the idea of selling? When is the last time you gained buy-in for one of your ideas? What made you successful? As a technology leader, selling ideas is a critical skill as your success is dependent not just on creating sound technology strategy, but overseeing it’s implementation. And this means selling your strategy up and down your organization, to partners, and to vendors.
The Art of Woo by G. Rickard Shell is a book for people who don’t typically think of themselves as salespeople, but who find themselves in a position to persuade others. The Art of Woo won’t teach you to sell gadgets or services, at least not directly. It teaches you how to improve upon and gain buy-in for your ideas. Each of us will have our own style of selling and Shell helps you determine your personal selling strengths as well as learn to read others and personalize your approach. Littered throughout the book are stories of some great persuasions that yielded fantastic results, from U2′s Bono gaining $435 million in appropriations to help African Nations fight AIDS to Charles Lindbergh piloting the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris.
Using strategic persuasion to sell your ideas is a relevant skill no matter what your level in an organization or the scope of your ambitions. Strategic persuasion is never about forcing an idea on someone else, but about crafting a plan to help others see the merit of the idea and own it with you. The Art of Woo is not a book to read once and set aside, but a handbook to refer back to over and over again as you continuously improve upon your idea selling strategy and face new situations. That’s why I’ve transformed this library check out into a part of my personal collection.
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By Laura Brandenburg. Laura Brandenburg is an independent business analyst consultant. She is passionate about the BA profession and is committed to contributing by supporting this blog as a forum for business analysts to build on each other's experiences. View more blog posts by Laura Brandenburg |
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