How to Pitch a Novel Idea
In his article “Why Great Ideas Get Rejected,” David Burkus points out that “novelty provokes uncertainty,” and uncertainty makes many people uncomfortable. He cites some research led by Jennifer Mueller of the University of Pennsylvania that suggests some ways to help overcome the bias against novel ideas when you’re pitching one:
“If the implicit bias against creativity is triggered by uncertainty, then crafting your pitch to maximize certainty should improve the odds of the idea being accepted. You can do this in a variety of ways. Reaffirming what the client or your manager knows is true about their project should prime them to be more accepting of novel ideas. Connecting the idea to more familiar ideas, such as previous successful projects or similar works, will also increase the odds that your idea will be seen as practical and desirable. Lastly, try leading clients toward your idea with a series of statements they agree with and then pitching your idea as if it’s theirs. Thus, counteracting the bias against creativity with an even more powerful bias – the bias for our own ideas!”