5 Strategies to Get Buy-in for New Ideas

Have a new initiative or idea you want to try, but it just seems like there are no clear ways to get started? Want to change a process or workflow that has “always been done that way?” Getting buy-in within your team or organization may be the best way forward to change the status quo and solve complex problems.

Getting buy-in for ideas is an essential step for both project ideation and decision-making. By fostering a collaborative environment and understanding the needs of stakeholders, you can create a culture where everyone is on the same page so you can drive organizational change.

Having buy-in ensures that everyone is making decisions with a shared vision in mind and reduces the risk of any unexpected surprises down the line. This process of getting alignment can also help you screen objections and work to incorporate feedback into your plan.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll cover:

• What it means to have buy-in
• Why getting buy-in is important
• 5 ways you can get buy-in from team members
• Free templates to help you build alignment and get buy-in

Why it’s so important to get buy-in

Getting buy-in is important because it guarantees everyone is on the same page, increasing the likelihood of success, improving collaboration, and leading to better decision-making.

​​Increased likelihood of success

When you have buy-in from stakeholders, colleagues, or other relevant parties, it increases the likelihood that your idea will be successfully implemented. This is because people will be more invested in the idea and committed to making it work.

Improved collaboration

Getting team buy-in requires collaboration and communication with others, fostering stronger relationships and teamwork. When team members and stakeholders feel included in the decision-making process, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility, leading to greater collaboration and cooperation.

Better decision-making: 

When you get buy-in from others, you benefit from their diverse perspectives and expertise. This can lead to more informed and well-rounded decision-making, as you consider different angles and potential outcomes.

5 Strategies to get buy-in for your ideas

1. Build a compelling case

Building a compelling case for your ideas helps to ensure that your stakeholders understand the value and potential of the idea, and encourages them to become invested in the process.

To do this, you should make sure that you’ve carefully identified the problem you’re looking to solve (remember: it’s not always so obvious!), understand your success criteria, and have gathered supporting data so you can test your idea.

Understand what problem you're trying to solve

Knowing the problem you are looking to solve inside and out is essential in order to effectively communicate the idea and ensure that it is well-received. 

Clearly understand your success criteria

Be sure you understand what metrics and KPIs will define success for your idea. Do you have the resources or tools necessary to properly measure success? Does the idea directly influence company objectives? Taking these questions into account can help ensure that you can speak to the total impact of your idea, how it aligns with company goals, and affects the bottom line.

Gather research and data

Collecting research and compiling data can help to validate the proposed solution and demonstrate why it is the best way to solve the problem. One means of doing this is through interviews with current customers or even non-users to gather outside perspectives on the problem as well as potentially unconventional solutions.

‍Test your idea

Testing ideas in the early stages is critical for success, as it helps to identify potential issues, refine the concept, and ensure that it is viable before presenting it to stakeholders.

Related: Learn more about assumptions mapping in this guide

2. Understand your audience

Understanding your audience's perspective is critical to presenting new ideas effectively, as it helps you tailor your message to different stakeholders. Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can figure out the best way to communicate your ideas.

This may mean using data to back up your argument (see above), providing examples of how the idea has worked elsewhere, or demonstrating the potential financial benefits. You should also be sure to address any potential concerns your audience may have about the idea.

Finally, it is important to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the proposed idea. Showing that you believe in the idea and are passionate about making it happen can be a powerful way to help others come on board with your vision.

Know the stakeholders and how involved they are

Knowing exactly who the stakeholders are for a given idea or project is essential in order to effectively communicate the idea to the right people and ensure they are engaged and on board.

Related: How to Create a Stakeholder Map (Templates & Examples)

Tailor your message to different stakeholders

Crafting messages that are tailored to the individual needs and perspectives of different stakeholders can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the idea is well-received. Pitching your idea to team members will be a fundamentally different experience than pitching to middle managers or even the C-suite or executive leadership teams.

This also helps force you to consider your ideas from different perspectives, which can help shape not only the message but the ideas themselves. For executive teams, you may want to focus on how the idea affects the big picture, while front-line team members may be more interested in how it affects day-to-day operations.

3. Make it collaborative: Engage your stakeholders

By incorporating feedback from stakeholders into new ideas and having an open dialogue to discuss and refine them, you can maximize engagement and alignment throughout the process. Inviting stakeholders to collaborate and offer feedback on ideas helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the final result is something that everyone can get behind.

Creating a shared space where ideas and questions can be discussed and debated is a great way to foster a collaborative environment and improve stakeholder engagement.

Brainstorm with your team and stakeholders

Brainstorming with stakeholders helps to encourage collaboration and ensure everyone has a shared understanding of the idea.

Related: How to Facilitate a Brainstorming Session

Use co-creation to design a solution with stakeholders to foster ownership in the outcome

Co-designing a solution with stakeholders helps to generate a feeling of ownership and buy-in, as they become invested in the process of creating and refining the idea.

Solicit feedback from stakeholders

Solicit feedback from stakeholders to ensure that all ideas are heard and considered when brainstorming.

Pro-tip: Using a framework, like Mural’s Critique template, can be a great way to stay on task, gather meaningful feedback, and create actionable next steps.

4. Anticipate and overcome resistance

When presenting new ideas, it is important to anticipate any potential resistance and prepare accordingly. By understanding the needs of stakeholders and anticipating any objections, you can create a plan to address concerns and objections before they arise. This helps to create a more open and collaborative environment, as stakeholders can share their ideas knowing that their feedback will be taken seriously.

Anticipating resistance also helps to ensure that any ideas presented will be well thought out, as well as more likely to be accepted by the stakeholders.

Offering alternatives and compromises

Offering alternatives and compromises, like the 'buy a feature' exercise, can help move an idea forward by demonstrating a willingness to consider different perspectives and explore creative solutions.

Build consensus

Building consensus among stakeholders is an important step in getting buy-in, as it helps to make the idea less fragile and establishes trust across the team.

5. After the buy-in: Celebrate success

Celebrating successes is an important part of the ideation process. Recognizing the hard work and effort that goes into creating, testing, and refining new ideas is a great way to foster a collaborative environment and keep stakeholders engaged. Celebrating successes also helps to demonstrate the progress that has been made and the potential of the idea going forward.

Sharing wins with key stakeholders helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the idea has the support it needs to be successful.

Review what went well

Review exercises like the 'Rose, Thorn, Bud' exercise can help to better understand initial outcomes and celebrate successes, in addition to elements that need further refinement or have potential to improve your solutions.

Recognize the contributions of everyone involved

It is important to celebrate the contributions of every stakeholder to a given project. Recognizing the efforts of all involved helps to build a sense of ownership and pride in the project, and demonstrates the value of collaboration.

Celebrating the contributions of all stakeholders also helps to foster a culture of trust and collaboration, and encourages everyone to continue to be engaged in the ideation process.

Engaged stakeholders are key for getting buy-in

By seeking buy-in, you can create a foundation of trust and engagement that can lead to success. Building a compelling case, understanding your audience, and making the process collaborative are all key strategies for getting buy-in from stakeholders. Anticipate and overcome resistance, as well as celebrate success after the buy-in is secured. When stakeholders are engaged in the process, it is easier to get buy-in for your ideas.

• Getting buy-in for ideas is an essential part of the ideation process
• Having buy-in ensures that everyone is making decisions with a shared vision in mind
• Getting buy-in for an idea is when all stakeholders involved agree that the idea is viable and are supportive of it
• Getting buy-in is important because it guarantees everyone is on the same page when presenting and developing new ideas
• There are concrete strategies that anyone can use to generate buy-in for new ideas that boost engagement and alignment throughout the process
• It’s easier to get buy-in when stakeholders are engaged

Getting aligned and engaged is easier than ever before with Mural. By using a shared digital space to brainstorm, collect feedback, optimize, and synthesize your ideas — as well as share them with all your key stakeholders — you can maximize transparency and speed innovation.

Don’t leave collaboration to chance. Sign up for a Free Forever account today and invite unlimited members so that you can capture, innovate, and iterate together.