Do you need an easy way to tap into higher sales? The best solution may be to get creative. Falon Fatemi cites research from UK-​based Aston Business School to explain that sales reps who use creativity outperform peers who don’t. Here’s how it works.

Creativity During Discovery

Your first opportunity to get creative in the sales process takes place during discovery. The prospect you’re talking with may seem like most other prospects you’ve encountered. For example, if you’re selling lawn maintenance services, they want to know how much it costs.

But, there’s often more at stake for the prospect. You must ask questions until you understand the details of their problem. In doing so, consciously recognize how they’re different from other prospects. Maybe they want the lawn mowed every Friday because they have parties on the weekends. Maybe other mowing services they used in the past never swept the clippings from their driveway. Or they might be concerned about the moths fluttering up from the lawn at dusk. 

Creativity During Your Pitch

Now that you’ve secured information on a few of the prospect’s key pain points, think about unique ways to explain how your service will meet their needs. Like many sales reps, you might typically use a script that your company developed during your calls. Scripts can be a fine reference point, but don’t limit yourself to those questions. You'll end up sounding robotic and won't expand your creativity.

When you’re able to tell a prospect that sweeping clippings is an essential part of your service, you sound like you’ve been paying attention. If you email them a document during the call that details the reason for moth infestations in lawns and explains how you can take care of that problem for a small extra fee, you sound brilliant. The 2019 Selling to SMBs Survey from SalesFuel found that over 44% of buyers are looking for tips from their sales reps. Specifically, these buyers rank “the ability to provide relevant ideas” in the top factors they want in a salesperson. 

Don’t assume that all prospects are the same. When you take the time during discovery to learn what makes each prospect different, you can craft a personalized solution. That action earns their trust and their business.