Rescue Your Best Ideas from Rejection

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I saw an expert ruin a great opportunity.

He had a smart idea to save money by cutting down on paying the same contractors for similar work. But instead of starting with the problem, he went straight into a lot of complicated details: charts, data, and a slide that was so packed with information it felt like a book.

After only 30 seconds, the team leader—the one person whose support really mattered—was already checking their email.

Why?

Because the expert didn’t talk about the one thing that mattered most to the team leader.

Now, compare that to a coworker who shared a similar idea the next week.

She walked into the room and showed a clear example of how work was overlapping. Then, she shared a brief story about how duplication of tasks was hurting the team's goals—the reason why the team leader was worried at night.

By the end of the pitch, the room wasn’t just listening—they were leaning in.

Two pitches. Same stakes. Different outcome. 

The difference?

One talked about the audience’s priorities, not the presenter’s expertise.

I'm amazed that so many people think that their great ideas will be obvious to everyone when the truth is that even the best ideas need to connect with what the audience knows and understands.

Explaining ≠ connecting.

Here’s the reality:

Whether it’s words or pictures, producing great content isn't the same as creating understanding.

So, how can you tailor your pitch to win over your audience? Or, as I like to put it… save your idea from rejection?

There’s a framework for that!

Try the SCOPE framework:

S - Study your audience (Know who decides and why)
C - Customize your opening (Match their world)
O - Organize for impact (Build the right path)
P - Present evidence strategically (Prove what matters)
E - Evolve with feedback (Adjust in real-time)

Let’s get it

S - Study Your Audience