Coming up with great ideas is one thing. Persuading people those ideas are truly great is quite another.

Persuasion is more of an art than a science, and there are plenty of ways to make your case more appealing to someone else.

Follow these seven tips to make a more persuasive argument.

• Talk about the other person’s benefits. They want to hear how it’s going to help them. Make sure you focus your presentation on the audience’s needs, not yours.

• Prepare for objections. Write down all the reasons someone might disagree with the argument. Then come up with rebuttals to each one.

• Ask the other person questions. It’s more effective than making statements because it forces the other person to come to his own conclusion.

• Admit weaknesses. If there are some holes in the argument, be up-front about them. But don’t dwell on it. Instead, explain why the plan is still the best solution.

• Have evidence on hand. People aren’t going to believe just anything. Collect surveys, charts, etc., to prove why your position is the right one.

• Give a heads-up on what to expect. Let ‘em know the possible risks involved, in case something does go wrong.

• Thank them. If the person eventually agrees, be sure to show appreciation and reinforce that they’ve made a good decision. This will help keep them from second-guessing.