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Advocacy
Book

Advocacy

Championing Ideas and Influencing Others

John A. Daly
Yale UP, 2012
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Editorial Rating

8

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Recommendation

You may not be a lawyer, politician or inventor, but, at some point in your career, you’ve probably had to advocate – that is, convince others to buy into an idea. Communications consultant John A. Daly teaches the strategies successful advocates employ: the basics of presenting an idea, the importance of cultivating a broad network and the empowerment that arises from conducting successful meetings. He provides charts and detailed lists to guide you through each step of the process. The book is lightly repetitious and refers often to common knowledge in the field, but it is smart and highly useful. getAbstract recommends it to anyone who needs to sell an idea – in whatever line of work – and become a successful closer.

Summary

Advocate, Advocate

Regardless of your field, at some point you will have to convince others to adopt your idea. Your concept will not sell itself; you must pitch it to your bosses, colleagues and even customers. Failing to do so effectively can mean that your idea, no matter how wonderful, will never see the light of day. You must learn to advocate.

Advocacy is the ability to convince others to become invested in and to offer support for something that’s important to you. Advocacy can take place in a variety of settings, and anyone can learn it. People who are good at advocating share some characteristics:

  • They make themselves understood with clarity and concision.
  • They craft reputations for believability and reliability.
  • They create environments in which people feel comfortably creative.
  • They build support for their proposals prior to presenting them formally.
  • They use stories, appear sure of themselves and run meetings well.

Begin at the Beginning

When pitching an idea, use “auditory, visual and kinesthetic” methods. Pictures are effective, but, kinesthetically, you also can offer prototypes or working...

About the Author

Communications consultant John A. Daly teaches at the University of Texas at Austin.

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