197 © Te Author(s) 2018 B. Garrette et al., Cracked it!, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89375-4_10 10 Sell the Solution: Core Message and Storyline It’s time to move from problem solving to solution selling. Now that you’ve found a solution to the problem and conducted the analyses to support it, you can formulate recommendations. You’ll then persuade the problem owner to follow your recommendations and take action. Tis is the climax of your mis- sion and a new challenge. To accomplish it, you’ll need to shift gears. Instead of digging deeper into the problem, you’ll need to see how your solution fts into the problem owner’s context and use this insight to sell it. Forget about problem solving for a moment and step into the shoes of the problem owner who wants to learn about your solution. For example, imag- ine you’re the CEO of Mustang Airlines, a low-cost air carrier operating in the USA. 1 You’ve asked a young executive to study an opportunity you’re consid- ering: to expand your feet by purchasing fve new Airbus A320neo airplanes. He’s written a frst draft of a memo that summarizes his fndings. Here’s what he says: As you requested, I reviewed the plan to buy fve new Airbus A320neo airliners to expand Mustang’s feet and grow our profts. I frst looked at the aircraft itself. Te A320neo (new engine option) is a very good plane. One study found that it has lower operating costs than the Boeing 737, our current airframe, making it possible to recoup the price diference between the two aircraft in three years. Tis is essentially due to higher fuel efciency. Consequently, it makes economic sense to modernize the feet with this new aircraft. Tis would also help Mustang seize new growth opportunities, such as opening a new route to Mexico and destinations in Central America.