Stop Doing Sales Pitches Forever – Do Creative Sessions Instead

Most people dislike sales calls. And most people hate doing sales pitches. But yet, that’s what most of us do. Every day.

So stop doing them.

Do creative sessions instead.

I am about to leave for a meeting with a new prospect. I call it a prospect, because I am going to discuss engaging on a project that involves me doing some creative work for a fee.

But I don’t see this as a sales call. I see this as a creative session. They way I see it, the fact that I have an audience means they are interested in what I can do. They are already sold on me, I don’t have to sell them.

Rather, all we have to do is engage in a fun, meaningful, helpful creative session where instead of me pitching them, WE (please note the “we”) are engaged in a creative discussion about what’s possible with the project.

“We” are exploring ideas. “I” am NOT pitching product as seen on our collateral…

Do you see the difference? If all you are doing is regurgitating facts, you are losing…or at least living a boring life.

At the end of the day, both parties will move forward officially upon the successful completion of a creative exercise where your shared ideas are worth pursuing…that leave both sides energized and excited.

What’s the worst case scenario here? You work your brain a bit and think through some new ideas to share on your blog and/or with future prospects, and your current prospect has gotten some value from your exchange… That’s not a bad way to go-to-market. Because I assure you, your creative session will be remembered, valued and likely talked about with others.

In fact, you should almost make it a point NOT to push hard for the sale. Don’t be in their face about “closing.” If they find value in what you, as a team, have come up with, they will initiate the next step, often launched with one of the following:

“So where do we go from here?”
“What are the next steps?”
“So what do you need from us?”

Sold. What this means is that they LOVE the ideas you co-created with them. And they want to proceed. Because they want to see the vision created together come to light. And that, my friends, is a fun way to earn a living…

What do you think?

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[cartoon by hugh macleod]