You've got a great idea that will change your business for the better -- now all you need are some high-level executives to give you the backing you need. So, how you do sell your great idea to the rest of the organization? Five business leaders give us their best-practice tips.

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1. Use guerrilla tactics

Lily Haake, head of technology and digital executive search at recruiter Harvey Nash, speaks regularly with some of the brightest and best professionals in the business -- and that's when she hears some creative ways to sell ideas.

"When I'm doing competency interviews, it's the sort of thing that I'll be asking -- describe a time where you've won investment for some sort of initiative," she says. "And I really like the answers where people describe guerrilla tactics."

Haake explains what these tactics look like and how influencers bring people onto their side.

"Without being manipulative, they're very thoughtful and considerate in who they are speaking to," she says.

"They'll kick off a small proof of concept with one business leader to demonstrate some value, and then they'll get that business leader to influence another business leader, and that stealth-like approach will provide influence at lots of different levels."

Before you know it, says Haake, you've got a critical mass of people who are invested in the idea.

"And it goes to the board and the business case is signed off," she says. "It's very clever and relies on phenomenal people and influencing skills, without ever going into manipulation. It's clever influencing."

2. Look after your stakeholders

Cathrine Levandowski, global head of operations at lifestyle management company Quintessentially, says selling a great idea to the business is all about stakeholder management.

"And that's not just about getting the backing of one stakeholder," she says. "I think it's really important that you also have champions across the business on board with you who feel like they are a part of the effort."

Levandowski gives an example from her own business. Quintessentially implemented Salesforce Marketing Cloud in March 2022 to help get a tight grip on its customer data.

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While Levandowski oversees the project, she says the technology wouldn't have been implemented successfully without the support of the marketing department and the customer services team.

Her team spent time talking with professionals across the organization and educating them about the benefits of new technologies.

"They all felt like we were choosing a solution that could help solve their issues," she says.

"Now, we're in a really good place where we have incredible champions across every department who really understand the purpose of having the Salesforce platform as a single source of truth for the business."

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Levandowski says people across Quintessentially have access to reports and dashboards that enhance their work and help them provide timely services to the company's customers.

"Those are the things that matter most -- not just understanding the concept of the technology, and what that means for the whole business, but how the creativity benefits them as well."

3. Build a partnership

Jarrod Phipps, CIO at automotive specialist Holman, says the key to success is getting other people to see that there's an issue -- and to make that connection on their terms.

"I think you have to start with the other person recognizing that there's a problem," he says. "Then, rather than having to sell them something, you're coming up with a solution. And if that's the case, why wouldn't the other person want to buy it?"

Phipps says that when you get your pitch right, you don't have to sell your idea because the need for a workable solution has already been identified and agreed upon.

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"When I look back at the times where I've made a significant impact in the past, the problem was always identified before I started working with the person in question to deliver a solution," he says.

"So, start with a problem -- either illuminate that a problem exists or take the momentum behind someone else identifying that a problem exists and partner in a solution. Then, it's not really a sale, it's about working together."

4. Make a strategic connection

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