Print ads in the magazine you picked up in the checkout line at the grocery store.
Digital ads on your Facebook feed.
Commercials intermittently peppering episodes of American Crime Story.
And let’s not even start on the emails flooding your inbox.
The amount of information we are inundated with on a daily basis is down right dizzening.
As sales people this makes things rather difficult. I’m being polite. It makes our jobs down right impossible.
We used to harness the power of product knowledge entitling us to full control of the sales process. Now prospects can do a quick Google search and have all the information they need at their fingertips. It’s no longer safe to rely on those boilerplate pitches and product demos.
You could say the odds are NOT in our favor.
But top performers are going to tell you that you simply have to get CREATIVE.
Creative sellers personalize their approach. They take time to listen and learn from their prospects and customers in an effort to understand their specific needs. They then craft pitches intimately relevant for that particular buyer.
Personalization plays a big role in purchasing decisions.
Creative selling practices position you to personalize pitches.
‘But I’m not creative.’
‘I’ve been using the same script for years, what do I do now?’
‘I think I get it but what can I do to increase my creativity’.
First of all, everyone is or was creative at some point in their life. Yes, even you. You played as a child didn’t you? Unfortunately that creativity and your imagination were squashed by school and schedules and rules and regulations. Essentially adulting is hard on the old creative juices. The good news? We’ve all heard the expression ‘it’s like riding a bike’, yes? You simply have to engage in activities that will encourage creativity. You can once again get creative.
Fortunately these activities look a lot more like play than they do work, which is exactly why the first thing on my list of creativity boosters is PLAY!
Play – Dust off an old board game. Swing on a swingset. Throw a frisbee. Host some friends for charades. Go for a leisurely bike ride (padded shorts not required.) Playing is fun. Playing releases endorphins. Endorphins are your feel-good chemicals. Playing also increases brain function and stimulates your mind and improves your ability to connect with others. Breaking the ice with strangers is no longer challenging and problem solving is one of your specialities.
Health & Wellness – Optimal wellness stems from a healthy mind, body, and spirit. This includes physical activity (play totally counts), a nutrient-dense diet, and meditation or yoga or journaling or attending Sunday service. I like to give options here because achieving a healthy spirit looks a little different for everyone. The goal is to achieve inner-peace – you’ll probably have to take a few different avenues to figure what works best for you.
Model Healthy Behaviors – This definitely applies if you’re in a position of leadership and could easily apply if your success depends on the success of your team. While people have to choose for themselves to live a healthy lifestyle on their own, you can definitely model healthy behaviors for those around you thus influencing the way they approach health and wellness.
Seek Out New Experiences – Steve Jobs said “creativity is just connecting things” and in order to do that you must have actual experiences to connect. Eat at new restaurants. If you normally walk around your neighborhood try going on a hike at the nearest state park. Go to the concert of an unknown band. Attend a festival you might not have considered before.
Do The Obvious – Do creative things. Write. Draw. Color outside the lines. Take a pottery class. Learn to play an instrument. Attend one of those paint and drink wine classes that are all the rage these days. Doing creative things improves your creativity. It’s really that simple.
Do I suggest doing all these things at the same time? Probably not. No need for right brain burnout. But I do encourage everyone to set aside time right this minute to PLAY. Play and see how your mind feels afterward! And then tell me all about of course!
And if you think breaking up with your script is going to be harder than expected – allow me to teach you the framework of selling using stories. It’s called creative nonfiction for a reason, it’s creative! I teach you the fundamentals in using stories to understand and forge an emotional connection with your buyers and vice versa. This foundation grabs the attention of your buyer, compels them to lean into your message and coverts sales conversations to closed deals.
For more information and to register today visit SalesGravy.University
The next course starts March 16th so act quickly.
