It happens in every field, but in marketing where so much of what we do is rooted in creativity, having your ideas rejected has an especially sharp sting. However, there are actions you can take that improve both the outcome and your perspective when your idea isn’t approved.
Let’s look at what’s happening here.
Why did your idea get rejected?
Identifying the real reason behind this decision is key to your growth. If your approver doesn’t offer a reason, ask. This feedback will be useful in future idea generation and may change the way you present your idea next time.
- Did you clearly show how implementing your idea will positively impact your company’s goals? Often approvers are big-picture, bottom-line thinkers.
- Could they visualize the solution you’re proposing? How detailed was your explanation?
- Do other ideas need to be implemented first in order for yours to be most effective? For example, do you need to build audience numbers now, then focus on conversion?
- Are you looking at the situation from the customer’s viewpoint? Is your approver?
- Is timing bad considering other scheduled events and promotions and the current business climate?
- Do they simply not like it? Sometimes it’s difficult for people to clearly articulate their concerns, especially when something hits them “wrong.”
- Understand there may be impending organizational change you’re not yet aware of that is impacting your approver’s decision.
Asking for clarification helps your approver, too. Providing clear direction and feedback is an important job requirement for any manager. Your questions may identify communication gaps they can address in the future. However, refrain from finger-pointing and learn what you can from the situation.
Are you sure it’s a good idea?
Let’s be honest — not every idea is a good one. Solid plans come out of vetting a lot of different ideas and sorting through which is the best fit. Take time to reflect on what you’ve learned and reassess your idea in this context.
- Is it honestly worth the resources? Focus on ideas that have good potential return for the time and money you’d need to execute them.
- Does it fit in with broader marketing strategies and business goals?
- Would your target audience understand what you’re trying to communicate without adding an explanation?
- Is it TOO clever? Creativity is essential to break through the clutter and get customers’ attention, but is the message being lost in the play on words or the image?
- Does it fit your company’s brand voice? For example, humor coming from a company that’s perceived as buttoned-down and conservative can strike the audience as insincere.
What you can do next time
Whether you want to “repackage” this idea or present something else, make sure you’ve thought through the previous questions ahead of time. Then, build your case.
- Run your idea past team members or others in the organization who have insight into your customers’ and prospects’ needs, like Sales or Customer Service. They can point out any holes or add support prior to you presenting the idea to your approver.
- Take a look at what your competitors are doing so you can position your idea as a counter.
- Note how similar and different approaches have worked for your organization in the past or at your previous companies.
- Identify any industry trends or best practices that support your approach.
- Speak in your approver’s “language” — demonstrate your understanding of business priorities and needs and show how your idea supports these.
As you work through this thought process and preparation, you may decide the idea is not a fit after all. Or you may come up with an even better one once you’ve focused your assessment. Tabling your idea because it’s not feasible right now doesn’t mean you can’t come back to it later when the timing is right or a different need develops.
When it’s time to move on
Your idea may check off all the boxes and then fail to be approved for a wide range of reasons, some legitimate and some seemingly random and illogical. Sometimes you just have to accept it’s not happening and move on.
Some of the best career advice I ever received was “Don’t fall in love with an idea.” That doesn’t mean you can’t be passionate about it. But being enamoured with one solution keeps you from seeing alternatives that may be more successful.
In the same way, dwelling on rejection or internalizing it as an assessment of your talent or intelligence blocks your ability to come up with a new idea and keeps you from doing your best work. Allow yourself to feel your emotions then make the decision to move forward and focus on the next challenge.