Turn Your Ideas into Income (With IMPACT©)

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically.

They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.”

~ Hyman Rickover

     How many times have you had ideas churning in your head…little ones; big ones; dreams; goals; intentions; projects? How many times have you acted on those ideas? Even more telling, how much income have you realized from your ideas? What stops you? What challenges you?

     There are a plethora of books, seminars and programs on creativity and how to get ideas. Yet once you have them, how do you organize your thoughts and make sense of them to determine which ones to pursue? How do you communicate your ideas and convince people to act on them? How do you determine your own actions? Which ideas are your “money ideas”?

     You typically want your ideas to have an impact whether they are for an invention, a solution to a problem, an easier or more efficient way to do something, a change to a process, the next book or movie premise, a way to better establish a relationship, or a suggestion for working smarter rather than harder. I define a methodology for organizing, communicating, selling, and acting on ideas as a process I designate IMPACT^©, detailed in my book Hey, That’s My Idea! . Let me overview this process that takes you “from idea to implementation” so that you turn your ideas and suggestions into income and being impactful.

     IMPACT^© is my mnemonic that helps you recall the six stages you navigate to take your ideas from mind to money and matter. This diagram visually represents the sequence of thoughts and actions for you to follow to organize, document, communicate, and encourage action on your ideas.

The IMPACT^© process comprises six stages:

I - Initiate your idea.

Choose your “money idea” with import.
Apply critical and creative thinking to develop it.
Capture your thoughts.

M - Mold your message.

Take inventory of reasons, data, and facts – ask questions for more details.

Edit them down to their essence.

Organize the elements for persuasion.

Clear them up, write them down for visual perspective.

P - Plot your strategy.

 Use sales strategies to “sell your idea” (even if it is not for sale).

Pace yourself: before, during, and after.

A - Attention…command It.

Consider your audience’s norms.

Capture their attention in a way to which they’ll respond.

C - Communicate for action.

Listen purposefully.

Use positive verbal and nonverbal techniques.

Integrate effective presentation skills.

T - Terminate assertively.

Tell ‘em what you want; make your call for action.

Make the tone commensurate to the request.

Be gracious and grateful.

     Let’s explore each stage in a bit more depth. For the record, I use “idea”, “suggestion”, and “thoughts” interchangeably to indicate the “stuff that’s in your head”.

Initiate your idea.

     This first stage of the IMPACT^© process is where you examine your ideas and determine the one on which you will focus your energies this time. Capture your other ideas so that you don’t lose them, yet choose one with the most import to the time, situation, and target audience on which to focus.  Apply critical and creative thinking techniques to develop your chosen idea. Once you experience the IMPACT^© process you will be able to return to your other ideas and repeat the process.

Mold your message.

     This second stage is where you do a “ideastorm”—a transfer of everything you can think of and learn through research that relates to your idea—from your head and disparate notes, into the documentation of your choice (paper or electronic) so that your idea is physically in one place. It must be highly visual so that you “see what you’ve been thinking”. Then use proven organizational patterns to sort and shape the bits and pieces of your idea to see it more clearly.

Plot your strategy.

     This third stage is where you fine-tune your organized idea. Plot your implementation action strategy so that you effectively communicate and persuade other people to accept and act on your idea. Create your sales strategy to figuratively “sell your idea” (even if it is not literally for sale). Work out how you will present your idea to your target audiences.

Attention…command It.

     The first three stages of the IMPACT^© process involve thinking, planning, organizing, and writing—so not sexy, yet necessary before you implement a strategy. Legendary Quarterback and Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach said that spectacular achievements are usually preceded by unspectacular preparation. The first IMPACT^© stages are the unspectacular preparation for communicating and implementing your idea. The last three stages are your ACTion ones.

     This fourth stage is where you fully develop your communications strategies and start presenting your idea. Research your audience to determine how your idea best meets their needs. Use effective presentation techniques to capture your audience’s attention and interest them in your idea.  Communicate with authority to command respect, and return focus to your idea when discussion goes off on a tangent.

Communicate for action.

     This fifth stage is a seamless continuation of the previous one where you hone your persuasion and presentation techniques. Employ positive verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Listen purposefully. React appropriately to challenges and questions. Persuade your audience with your messages, reasoning, and public speaking skills.

Terminate assertively.

     This sixth stage is where you “seal the deal”—make your call to put your idea into action. Present an action plan and schedule next moves. Involve your audience in your plans and get commitments, with deadlines. Be specific. Communicate the pay-off for acting on your idea. Make your tone commensurate to your request. Express your appreciation. Remain in control of your idea by steering the course for its implementation.

Increase your income IMPACT^©-fully: stop churning and start earning

     Anyone can have a great idea. Yet, the leap from inspiration to implementation is too wide for many to make. The gap between idea and income is even wider for so many. By following the IMPACT^© process, the giant leap becomes manageable because you have tools that help you stop churning and start earning. As an entrepreneur; professional; person seeking to experience the “next chapter” in your life; a leader...implementing a system, with tools and resources, to move your thoughts and projects from your head to intentional action enables you to increase your income and make an impact on your bottom line, your family, your community, and even the world. You turn your dreams into dollars, your concepts into cash, and your ideas into income and impact!

 

About the Author:

Sylvia Henderson, Implementation Strategist, moves individuals and teams to get out of their heads and into action with their ideas for profit and purpose. Clients call her the “Maven of Implementation”. Using her design thinking process called IMPACT^©, Sylvia helps you build a foundation and develop strategies for, take action on, and be accountable to your ideas. Sylvia is the author of multiple books including Hey, That's My Idea! How to Speak Up & Get Recognized for What You Know and Think, and hosts a cable TV program and radio show on implementing ideas. Turn your dreams into dollars, concepts into cash, and ideas into impact with Sylvia’s expertise & experience to guide and encourage you. Meet Sylvia at the  Unlimited You Weekend, April 10- 12, 2015, Baltimore, MD. www.hwhn.org for details.