Simply informing others isn't enough. You need to let your audiences know what you would like them to do. That depends on whether you're trying to sell or share your vision.
Selling your vision is like selling any other product. The audience either buys it (in other words, supports it) or doesn't. Selling is useful if you're trying to get financing or need support from a government agency.
Sharing your vision is more complex. Audiences don't just support it. They get involved with it. They may even modify it. Sharing is useful when you want to build long-term relationships or motivation. Successful plans need the ongoing support of the people who are affected by them. If those people are sold a vision, and there are unforeseen problems -- as there always are -- people can change their minds quickly. (Think about toothpaste. If you start to dislike the taste, the price, or the company that sells it, do you wait for it to change? No. You buy another brand.)
When you're selling, the vision tends to be more detailed and constructed. When you're sharing, the vision is more vague and open-ended. The more detailed the vision is, the more it seems "finished" or "closed." Most people don't feel comfortable trying to change a finished product.
Let's say your vision is to build a supermarket in a low-income community. You probably have a sense of how big the supermarket should be, what it should look like, and maybe even who should run it.
You would probably sell that vision to a bank. The banker would want to know that your vision is a safer investment for the bank's money. More details can help your credibility.
You would probably share the vision to community groups. They may have different ideas about the mix of products in the store and who should run it. If you simply try to sell your vision, they may say "no thanks."
Be prepared to sell and share. In today's world, the bank might feel more comfortable buying your vision if the community shares it.
--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
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