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Kickstart Your Creativity to Rev Up Sales
April 21, 2008
Eight ways to become a more creative person
By Sam Harrison
"So what business are you in?" asked the fellow beside me on the LaGuardia flight.
"I speak and write about creativity," I said. "Yourself?"
"A sales manager," he said. "Not very creative at all."
He returned to his spreadsheets and I to my writing. But I had to wonder if there was any clamoring in the streets for his products. Because it seems to me creativity and selling go hand in hand. Opportunities for synaptic boosts exist in all areas of the sales cycle—preparing communications, creating tools, developing proposals and, of course, making compelling presentations to clients and prospects.
When John Utzon presented his idea of a shell-shaped roof for the Sydney Opera House, he didn't have time or money to build fancy models. So he got creative. Sitting at a restaurant table with his customers, Utzon asked for an orange, then cut the shell-shaped segments from its skin. His mesmerized clients quickly understood and embraced the shell-roof concept.
But getting your creative juices flowing can be difficult if you've been keeping them dormant. Here are eight ways to kickstart creativity for yourself and your team.
1. Take a few risks.
Creativity doesn't come from playing it safe. "Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties," said psychologist Erich Fromm. Creative people aren't afraid to try new things. They ignore the fears of putting forth their ideas and surge forward in new directions.
2. Don't quit too soon.
Mark Constantine once showed Body Shop a fizzling ball customers could dissolve in bathwater to add aroma. Body Shop turned him down. But Constantine didn’t give up on his idea. He now sells thousands of Bath Bombs at Lush Cosmetics each day, providing 40% of the company's sales.
Takeaway note: Just because a client slammed your idea doesn't necessarily mean it's a dog. Think how you can make it more appealing or who else you can show it to.
3. Look around.
Inspiration is everywhere: Charles Pajeau got the idea for Tinkertoys by watching his children build small bridges with their collection of pencils and thread spools; IDEO designed a new stroller for Evenflo with a higher seat after watching parents stoop to connect with their children in strollers; Proctor & Gamble marketers noticed unique insulation materials being used in the auto industry and came up with the Mr. Clean scrubbing sponge … the list goes on.
Look around when you're sitting in hotels, restaurants and airports. What's happening right before your eyes? What materials, techniques and solutions are others using that can become an idea for your marketing and selling efforts?
4. Have big ears.
Early jazz players praised a fellow musician by saying he or she had "big ears"—meaning the person actively listed to another's playing and built on rhythm, lyrics and tempo. Sales professionals know the value of listening to identify needs too. But are you also carefully listening to customers, friends, family, team members and strangers to uncover new ideas?
For example, a marketer at OXO International listened when a customer complained about the vertical handle on the company's potato masher. OXO soon introduced a new and improved masher with a horizontal handle that lets the user push down with more force.
5. Break out of ruts.
Are you watching the same TV shows? Going to the same restaurants? Visiting the same Web sites? Such sameness can sap creative thinking. Review your personal and business life, asking yourself which activities inspire you and which tire you. If they're inspiring, keep doing them. If they're tiring, swap them out or find fresh approaches.
6. Think ahead.
General Electric invests $14 billion a year on ideas and innovations. And CEO Jeffrey Immelt says GE rewards employees who have a healthy disregard for history. "Our idea people don't sit around and reminisce about the way things used to be," he says. "They're too busy thinking about something new."
To prosper in today's highly charged global environment, successful sales people look ahead and are willing to change. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent," said Charles Darwin, "but the one most responsive to change."
7. Spend creative energy like money.
Let’s say I give you $35,000 and tell you to go buy a car. Good idea, huh? But probably not so good if you instead use the dough to place ads about how much you dislike your existing car. Or if you spend the money on a car you hate.
Sounds stupid, right? But this is what we sometimes do with creative time and energy. We take our precious allotment of time and spend it complaining about what's in front of us or investing it in lackluster projects. Highly creative people use their finite energy for positive actions and innovative thinking.
8. Burn excuses.
Caesar and other ancient warriors burned their ships after disembarking to invade foreign lands. Seeing the flaming boats behind them, armies realized they must conquer or die. No retreat, no excuses.
Have excuses kept you from creating inventive sales plans or captivating presentations? If so, take a sheet a paper and draw a vertical line down the center. At the top of the left column write the word "But." At the top of the right column, write the word "So." List all your excuses for not creating something new in the left column. Then, in the right column, list actions you'll take to burn those excuses and start applying your creativity.
Sam Harrison provides keynotes and seminars on creativity and is the author of "IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea" and "Zing! Five Steps and 101 Tips for Creativity on Command." For more information, visit www.zingzone.com/
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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