I am fortunate to have been included in the experts quoted in Rachel Feintzeig’s important WSJ article, “When Your Boss’s Favorite Word is ‘No’. Her insights and those of other experts are useful tips to people striving to pitch and present their innovation at work.

For example, William Ury, co-founder of Harvard University’s negotiation program. “From childhood to our work lives, we hate hearing “no.” We take rejections too personally or seriously, interpreting them as slights or the end of our career. The single biggest obstacle to us getting what we want, it’s not the difficult person. It’s ourselves. After hearing a no, show empathy and curiosity rather than irritation, he says. Zoom out, imagining you and your boss are actors in a play. Then respond with “I understand.” And ask a “what if?” question, for example: What if we tried it next quarter instead? What if we got marketing to lay the groundwork with the client? To figure out what’s really holding back your boss.”

I love that because it describes so well the resilient mindset you need for pitching and presenting your ideas, internally and for clients. Also, an excerpt from Rachel’s interview with me:

“Become the one to trust. Establish yourself as the resident expert before making your pitch, says Michael Quinn, CEO of Minor Nobles, a firm that trains corporate workers on pitching and presenting. Send a trickle of links and tidbits around artificial intelligence for weeks, and by the time you’re ready to debut your brilliant AI idea, you’ll be trusted.”

Or ask yourself, “Who does the boss trust?” Presell the idea to that person, Quinn says, incorporating the feedback into your final proposal. When the boss looks to her confidant for guidance, you’ll already have that person’s support. Make clear to the adviser that you aren’t going behind the boss’s back, you’re seeking some initial advice.