Let’s face it, a great idea is useless if you can’t sell it.

At the HOW Conference for creatives this last week, several different speakers offered advice on how to make your creative presentations just as good as your creative ideas. Many of these ideas were similar to those from our own office presentation guru, Nancy Stern. Here are five powerful tips I picked-up for selling creative ideas:

1. Know your audience.

To quote presentation specialist Nancy Duarte from her HOW Conference presentation last week—”Not knowing your audience is like writing a love letter to whom it may concern.” Before you give your presentation, do your homework. Find out what your client does on Saturday night, if they have families, what books they read. The more you show them you understand their point of view, the more willing they will be to listen to what you have to say.

2. Involve your client in your ideas.

“If they birthed it, they can’t kill it.” Great quote from David Schimmel, CEO of And Partners.

During your initial meetings with clients, write down memorable things that they have to say. Then, when you present, weave these exact words into your presentation. Another idea from HOW Conference presenter and creative David Sherwin is to actually involve your client in your initial brainstorms. Most of the time, they are flattered to be involved in the process and will be more accepting of your final ideas because they helped contribute to them.

3. Be your own devil’s advocate.

Afraid your client might not like your ideas? Try to imagine what the decision-maker will see when they look at what you have to show them. Make a list of what they might not like and then address those issues head-on in your presentation. “This is my idea _____. One thing the consumer might think is this ______. However, I think we can overcome it by doing this _____. ” This will demonstrate that you understand their mindset and make your ideas that much more powerful.

4. Plant a rhetorical device.

The two quotes I’ve used in this blog post so far were phrases delivered by Nancy Duarte and Sam Harrison in their HOW presentations. Obviously, they stood out enough to me that I remembered them. And you can make your audience do the same.

Devise a strong statement that you repeat several times in your presentation, or even just tell your audience, “Here’s what I want you to take away today,” and then list your points. Apple leader, Steve Jobs is superior at doing this in his presentations, even embedding the same phrase in his advertising and press releases for resonance. When he launched the iPad, he said the device was the intersection of liberal arts and technology, an idea that was repeated in all forms of Apple’s media.

Another great example was from creative and author Sam Harrison’s HOW presentation on “Idea Selling”. He referenced Porter Gale, Virgin Atlantic’s brand director who described flying on the luxury airline Virgin “like flying inside an iPod.” A phrase that was picked-up by other media and repeated over and over.

5. Find your star moment.

This is the moment that your audience will always remember and is always highly planned. Former advertising creative turned agency guru Tony Mikes of SecondWindOnline.com suggests that it doesn’t always have to be a well-written statement that is the star. One example he gave was an agency that asked for 15 minutes to get ready before a client pitch. They filled the room with flip-charts and sketches from their war room and did a brainstorm with their audience to illustrate their philosophy of always working as closely as possible with the client.

What do you do to help sell creative your creative ideas? Watch more videos of great presentations here or check out Nancy Duarte’s Slide:ology video below.