Whether you have a problem to solve or you need the perfect idea for a logo, domain name or metaphor the best ideas are generated by brainstorming.
Forcing thoughts out of your head until one of them resembles a solution is not the most delicate process. But there are little things you can do to get the most out of your brainstorming sessions.
Team power
Reaching that "aha" moment will happen quicker if you round up some of your co-workers. It doesn't matter what kind of people---marketing or non-marketing, creative or analytical, left or right-brained. Everyone has the ability to storm their own brain.
If you're at home you'll have to enlist a family member, friend or neighbor. You'd be amazed at how powerful the word "help" is. This word taps into their conscience. If you have more than one helper, you're a host. More than five, however, and you're a babysitter.
Go into a room that has minimal or no distractions. At the office this should be a no-brainer. At home, an unused bedroom or laundry room will do.
Prep
Playing board games such as Charades or Scattegories is a good way to warm up, anything to stretch out the brain. Kind of silly? Maybe. Effective? Yes. If you want to get serious, you could prepare a brief that outlines the problem in question and what kind of solution is needed. It'll answer some of their questions before the session even starts, saving you some time. At the top of a dry erase board or a pad of paper write the purpose of the session, reminding them along the way.
Freedom
Censoring is poison for brainstorming, which is what you'll be doing if you shoot down their ideas. Just making a face can discourage them from throwing out some off-the-wall ideas, which may trigger a brilliant idea later on in the session. So, if you hear some not-so great ideas say things like:
"You're on the right track, but more along the lines of...."
"Not quite, but you're in the ball park."
"Keep them coming. We need more ideas like that."
Positive feedback like this will fuel them more than coffee and doughnuts will (this doesn't hurt, though). As a host, you should steer the car but never hit the brakes. This way you'll get to your destination. You will be rewarded with a flurry of ideas for your problem or project. Quality is better than quantity, but quantity yields quality.
Brainstorming is the antithesis of mental blocks. If it slows down, push yourself to keep talking. Say anything. Even if it's irrelevant. Drifting away from the box might be exactly what you need to give it a jolt. It should be energized like a game of Pictionary.
If you're by yourself…
Commit to one hundred ideas, no less. So that may mean one hundred headlines for an article, one hundred photo ideas for the layout of a brochure or whatever. Now, hold on, before you freak out, this doesn't mean in any way that all the ideas have to be good. You're writing pretty much everything that resembles the final outcome.
If the ideas aren't any good, why write them down? Because it motivates you to work harder---the way daily journaling motivates you to improve your lifestyle.
I know if I'm looking for the perfect headline for a blue chip client, I'll always pound out one hundred ideas; and no matter what number it is---the third, the forty-fourth or the ninety-seventh---I'll get to it. Don't stop before reaching a hundred, even if you think you have a suitable idea. This is what brainstorming is all about.
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By using his experience in low (or no) cost marketing Neill Kleven helps small businesses grow. To find out more about his services visit his website: http://www.neillkleven.com
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