There are some clients you are just DYING to work with but the usual tactics of phone and standard email are just not working and you are feeling frustrated. Here are some creative and out-of-the-box concepts to get your juices flowing on how to break through this situation that we often confront. I have been hiring sales executives lately and one of the questions I like to ask candidates is what is the most interesting tactic they have ever used to land a deal. In my business of marketing and advertising, you have to be uber creative, so this is a great way to see whether the candidate has that creative gene. Here are some of my fun ideas combined with ideas I have stumbled upon lately in interviews, asking our Macaroni KID community of 400 publishers and my own CertifiKID & Macaroni KID sales team.
Candy Card Tactic
My mother in law is the Candy Card Queen. She makes them for every big event, spends hours creating them, and does an incredible job. They are not only super cute, but they leave the recipient with a sweet treat. Just go out and buy a poster board (thicker is better), a big assortment of candy bars, and clear tape and get creative and colorful with your markers. My mother in law also uses stickers as well to give it some pizzazz. Here is an example of one you could do for a business:
The Handwritten Letter Tactic
You can never go wrong with a handwritten letter. I have never tried this (my bad spelling and poor penmanship are a deterrent), but one of the candidates I interviewed recently mentioned sealing a deal this way! Make sure to follow up after the letter would have arrived as they may be more inclined to respond to you then.
Incorporating Customers Tactic
Another approach is to incorporate customers into your sales strategy. For example, I remember in my early days I asked a friend who told me they were at a local play place to mention on their way out how AMAZING of a time they had and they are so glad they heard about it through CertifiKID. Then I perfectly timed my call and email to follow!
Comic Tactic
I once had a team member deliver a giant sized poster of a funny sales comic to a potential business to get their attention. I took that idea to another level and threw together a quick personal comic using Pixton, a comic strip maker, to create something personal to send to my local go-kart track. I am sure someone else could get more creative with the actual comic but you could certainly blow something up and send it OR even just add it to an email to catch their attention and show creativity!
The LinkedIn Voicemail Tactic
Have you tried using LinkedIn voice messages? My Director of Sales finds it much more effective than leaving a written message on Linked In or even cold calling. She gets a response nearly every time. The prospect can listen to it and respond on their time versus you interrupting them with an unwanted call. Here’s how to do it.
The TV Antidote Tactic
When you are watching a TV show and one of the characters is having trouble doing something, come up with a clever way to share with the contact that if they had their product or service, they would have no problems. Send that antidote to the prospect which they may find engaging and entertaining!
Creative Food Tactic
Food is always a great way to get someone’s attention. I remember years ago landing a deal with a new pirate ship coming to our area with some pirate themed cupcakes delivered. One of my sales team members suggested doing someone like Pie for pi day – dropping off pizza or a pie – thanking them for the piece of their marketing pie or asking for a piece of their marketing pie. The sky is the limit with food!
What are some of your creative ideas for sales?
