Quick Start
Tool KitQuick StartI need buy-in
Tool KitQuick StartI need buy-in
Looking to gain the support and engagement of your stakeholders? Start here! These tools will help put you on the right path.
It’s a quick and dirty way to test out your idea to better understand what works and what needs work.
A prototype can be made of anything — it can be a block of wood to stand in for a new design for a phone, a skit to act out how a new service would work, or a hand-drawn storyboard that maps out each step in a new app.
Think about what your idea is all about and test it with something tangible for people to react to.
This statement of how your product or service will benefit your customer is critical to your business model and arguably the most important element of your overall messaging.
Before you can begin persuading others to get behind your idea, you need to define simply and succinctly what makes your idea unique. Once you nail your value proposition, your potential users will understand why they should do business with you.
Ready to write your own Unique Value Proposition? Check out our worksheet to get started.
There are two key considerations to keep in mind as you make your assessment:
A good elevator pitch should be snappy and compelling and last no longer than 30 seconds. In fact, the shorter, the better!
Share your story even if there are areas of your idea that still need to be developed. After pitching, think about people’s first impressions and what questions they pose. Make sure you are clear on those answers and wrap that information into your future pitching.
Ready to write a compelling Elevator Pitch? Use this worksheet as a guide.
Knowing when and how to tell stories is a powerful skill that will immediately boost your effectiveness.
Storytelling is about communicating your vision to find backers and champions. Every story you tell should include a narrative, visuals, and data to explain your idea and engage your listeners.
As you share your story, incorporate positive, constructive feedback and real-world examples to make it meaningful and relevant to your audience.
Put your story, not your features, first. Focus on how you want your audience to feel. Rather than overwhelming your listeners with details about your product features, provide evidence of the value they will get out of it. Don’t make them figure it out. Be direct and tell your audience why your product matters to them.
It defines the core business benefit of a project to justify the cost of the initiative and it illustrates how the project aligns with strategic goals in your organization and the benefits your project will deliver to the organization and your stakeholders.
The most time-consuming parts of the exercise are gathering supporting information and taking the time to think over each element. Writing it down should be easy by comparison…after all, you’re writing a business case, not poetry!
When you’re done, your Business Case should accomplish the following:
It lays out what you do and how you will go about doing it, and it captures key questions around revenue streams, key partnerships, and resources.
It’s okay if there are some areas you don’t have answers to. After all, you may still be sorting through your business plan. The Business Model Canvas tool helps keep group discussions more focused and creates opportunities to describe, design, challenge, and shift your business model.
It’s your turn! Create your own Business Model Canvas. Use this worksheet to guide you.
It’s a critical go-to-market step because it keeps you from making a large investment before you know if your product or service will be a viable option.
During a pilot, you test the entire system to find out if it works the way you envisioned and to make minor tweaks and gather insight about what works well and what needs further work.
Quick Tip:
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