You are ready to discuss an idea with someone important – someone whose actions will have an influence on the outcomes for you.

This could be an investor you are courting.

Or a potential partner

Or a future employee

Or a prospect

If it is a fresh idea with a lot of risks, there is a good chance that people will start with a negative bias – trying to listen intently to look for potential loopholes or gaps in thinking.

So, what can you do to increase the odds of creating a positive bias?

Here is one thing to think about.

Can you choreograph the lending of their mindshare an act of reciprocity for some valuable help you provided to them or to someone that matters a lot to them?

This requires you to do some real WORK way before the meeting to discuss your idea.

The moment reciprocation enters the arena, the game changes.

They know that there will be loopholes or gaps in thinking.

Sure.

But, their bias will shift towards looking for ways to help to the maximum extent possible within the constraints they are operating under.

Every bold idea will have loopholes and there will be gaps in thinking and execution. If you follow the above approach, they won’t start automatically believing in the idea. Instead, they will start thinking what can they DO to help make the idea more believable.

Then the magic starts to unfold..