How to Sell Marketing Ideas to Staff

The guys in IT are lucky. Nobody bothers them, as long as the office computers are fast and functioning.

Not so with marketing.

While many staff members are immersed in marketing seemingly every second of the day, that doesn’t make everyone equally qualified to identify the who, what, why, where and when of an effective marketing campaign.

The key is to successfully sell your ideas internally and control the discussion. One tip? Never start with the tactics. That’s the fun stuff: What will the webpage look like? What are the logo options? How clever is the headline? If you start the discussion about tactics, you’ll find yourself debating personal preferences. Instead, go all the way back to the beginning: What led to the campaign decisions you’re recommending? Lead with the strategy—and don’t move on until you reach complete consensus.

Despite your best efforts, someone in your company will hate the ideas presented and may not hesitate to express that. But it’s never too late to get the haters on board. Once the principal idea is approved, consider asking for the naysayer’s advice on more incidental aspects of the project: Which of these two photos do you prefer? Which promotional item do you like best? Their initial resistance may fade once they feel a part of the team.

This may require several meetings, but your plodding has a payoff. If everyone agrees to big-picture stakes like brand positioning, who you’re trying to reach and why, you will have already advanced your idea before anyone has even seen it. By the time you reach tactics, the conversation will have moved from personal preference to reasoned selection.

As an added bonus, framing every choice with strategy will make a disagreement feel less like a personal attack and more like a straightforward business decision. After all, it’s not about what you or anyone else at your company likes or dislikes. It’s about the brand. It’s always about the brand.

Amy Skidmore is an IA contributor.