Sell the Idea — Online course from Ian Wharton

The idea is everything
the easy part.

Lack of ideas is the lowest-ranking cause of creativity not happening. The challenge is keeping an idea alive so it can find its fullest form. This is rarely done in private. It takes people. Occasionally, hundreds of them. An idea first chooses to live or die when told to others, and it is here where even the exceptional ones can be brought to a permanent stop.

If we want our ideas made, which is the most honest and respectable way to advance a career or company forward, they must be sold well and without deception. This requires an act of preparedness. Sell the Idea is designed around three short and widely applicable principles to help make individuals and teams prepared every time.

What's covered in this course?

A collection of three principles to help you get more of your ideas made through a memorable, easily understood and masterfully delivered sell where the potential and urgency of an idea are unmistakable.

Principle 1: Inciting Incident

The primary element of narrative structure that makes the articulation of an idea compelling. Specifically so it can be easily retold. Ideas are rarely bought by one person in a single moment. We not only need to capture the imagination of the people in the room but capture it repeatedly, over time, and when the idea is sold to others in our absence.

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Principle 2: Context

Whether we like it or not, we are in one world, and our audience is in another. Both worlds have their unique frames of reference, distractions and motivations. ‘Context’ looks at how to close that gap. This is a simple exercise that, when neglected, causes the majority of unfulfilled ideas.

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Principle 3: The Surgeon

A visualisation technique designed to help guide the delivery of an idea in both content and form. This principle helps free us from any latent caricatures of selling that obscure success and creates an exchange built from trust rather than transaction.

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Testimonial

“Effectively communicating complex ideas and concepts in a compelling and straightforward way is pivotal to our business. So when we wanted to go deep into the art and craftsmanship of storytelling, we turned to Sell the Idea.

Ian brings decades of experience in this field, having worked across a number of senior positions in creative and start-up businesses. His approach to learning is proven, his materials are easy to follow and impactful, and he brings a wealth of real world examples to the course.

Ultimately, if you want your teams to be able to sell their work more of the time, put them through this course.”

Simon Cox
Global MD, Strategy

"Ideas are free. We are gifted them throughout our lives and careers, sometimes in the most unconventional ways.

Communicating your idea is where it gets challenging, and taking it a level further to get an idea made, bought or to excite someone in the pub is where this course has value. It is literally in the name."

Joshua Ogden
C0-Founder

FAQ

“Really clear, no BS approach to pitching.”

“Great course. Practical tools for making better pitches. And I loved the film references.”

“How to think like your client, and how to mitigate threats or derailers.”

"A very refreshing perspective on selling ideas with highly valuable insights."

"These are hard-won insights."

"Full of insight and takes the jeopardy out of the creative sell."

"A completely different way of looking at the pitch process."

"The course was amazing. Extremely applicable methodology."