Use a flipchart, a whiteboard, or a napkin to capture your ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I usually think of a flipchart as a tool for presenting a speech for a small group. But it also can help you think up new ideas, when you begin writing a speech.

 

I saw an article by Jeffrey Gitomer titled Sales Truths or Sales Consequences. They’re up to you! #656 which contained to following wisdom:

 

“FLIP CHART GOLD

 

I always use a flip chart when I have a new idea or start a new project.

 

The flip chart helps you define and outline ideas and concepts in ways you hadn’t thought of before. As you write each point, you’re spurred on to the next point – and you think ‘Oh, yeah’ while you write furiously. The flip chart is the perfect medium to make a concept transferable to the prospect.

 

NOTE: Flip charts are cheap. They cost between $50 and $200. Are you waiting for the boss to buy you one? Major clue: You have your own money. Start to invest it in the most important person in the world: you.

 

What’s one idea worth? What’s an idea that you capture worth? How many ideas have you lost because you didn’t write them down? The flip chart captures. The flip chart communicates, expands and solidifies plans. The flip chart preserves so you can see what you’ve done and revise your plans.

 

The flip chart is not an option."

 

That advice had appeared in the Grand Rapids Business Journal on November 15, 2004 in an article titled These Nuggets of Wisdom Smooth the Sales Process. You also might use a whiteboard, and then capture an image with the camera on your cell phone.

 

There is another article  titled Waiter, can I have a napkin please? There Jeffrey talks about reading Dan Roam’s 2013 book, The Back of the Napkin. That book is subtitled Solving problems and selling ideas with pictures. Jeffrey expanded it to be Capturing thoughts, creating ideas, clarifying ideas, solving problems, and selling ideas with pictures and words. Another June 2, 2008 article by Mr. Gitomer titled Napkin thinking. Paper power. says that he wrote the initial concept for his 2004 The Little Red Book of Selling down on a napkin, and then clarified it on a flipchart. See more about the back story here at Google Books.

 

I blogged about Mr. Gitomer back on May 14, 2012 in a post titled Who invented the flip chart? and also on October 21, 2013 in another post titled A thumb up for Jeffrey Gitomer.

 

The flipchart stand was adapted from Openclipart.