155 VIsuaL thInKIng desIgn 155 selling externally Just as employees must “sell” ideas internally, entrepreneurs with plans based on new business models must sell them to other parties, such as investors or potential collaborators. Strong visuals substantially increase chances of success. create company-wide understanding When it comes to communicating a business model and its most important elements, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Everybody in an organization needs to understand its business model, because everybody can potentially contrib- ute to its improvement. At the very least, employees need a shared understanding of the model so they can move in the same strategic direction. Visual depiction is the best way to create such a shared understanding. selling internally In organizations, ideas and plans often must be “sold” internally at various levels to garner support or obtain funding. A powerful visual story reinforc- ing your pitch can increase your chances of winning understanding and backing for your idea. Using images rather than just words to tell the story makes your case even stronger, because people identify immediately with images. Good imagery readily communicates your organization’s current status, what needs doing, how it can be done, and what the future might look like. Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication Improve Communication bmgen_final.indd 155 6/15/10 5:42 PM