The sales process often requires many unusual twists and turns. Our original intentions and planning often turn into something much different by the end of a sale. From my experience, the key to success in modern-day sales is creativity. Here are 6 simple, but often overlooked, areas you can practice creative selling.
1. Move From Sales & Marketing To Smarketing
There was a time when sales and marketing were two very separate areas. Today’s sales landscape requires sales and marketing to work together to meet the customer’s needs. Many sales and marketing professionals work physically side by side to provide a holistic approach to the customer. A process is designed to offer insights and creativity to engage the customer in the early stages of the buyer journey. Both sales and marketing areas share the development of buyer personas, custom emails, and target messaging. This new hybrid process is referred to as “smarketing.”
2. Diversify Your Prospecting Avenues
In sales, the bar is getting higher to gain access to decision makers. Sales professionals who develop rapport and establish credibility early make deals happen. How do you build an awareness of your offering and yourself? Take the path less traveled. Use a variety of community events, social media influences, content creation, content curation, and social proof. It’s the old adage, “it’s not who you know, but who knows you that matters.”
3. The Art Of Leveraging Humor
Be creative and look for ways to add humor to the conversation. Laughter is a great equalizer and promotes bonding when establishing rapport. I have seen sales professionals use humor throughout the sale. These Sales Ninja’s use everything from GIF’s, funny icebreakers, and industry rants. A good dose of laughter lowers a prospects defenses. Note to self: humor is best when directed at self or an inanimate object.
4. Position Yourself As A Problem Solver
Great salespeople tend to be great problem solvers as well. Your ability to think outside of the box for solutions to your customer’s issues separates you from your competitors. A creative sales person who designs creative solutions wins more business. How creative will you be in handling them when confronted with objections? Will you shrug your shoulders and give up, or look for alternative ways to provide the customer with a unique solution to meet their needs? Salespeople who partner and collaborate with buyers deliver greater value, resulting in more sales.
5. Always Consider the Customer’s Customer
Have you thought of ways to help the customer’s customer? Providing insights to your customers on ways to deliver value to their customers changes the way you are perceived. Think bigger than the sale in front of you. Would you rather be a vendor or a trusted partner/advisor that brings value?
6. Explore Alternate Uses For Your Product
Most salespeople have a defined territory and customer base. They sell into one or several vertical industries. A creative salesperson will discover new types of customers for their offering. Finding alternative uses for a product has made some of the most significant discoveries in history possible. Sticky notes exist because a glue manufacturer failed to make glue that was strong enough to bond. This creative found an alternative use in sticking notes to surfaces with it. Voila! The sticky note is born!
In Conclusion
If you want to express your creativity, consider combining sales and marketing principles into a single process, content creation, content curation, customer service, prospecting, product alternatives, and going the extra mile to provide the customer with what they need. Incorporate these steps in your sales strategy to flex your creative muscles throughout the sales process.
If you want to learn more follow the link: Sales Training | Saginaw, MI | HNH Sales Training & Consulting
