A column for inventors, writers, artists, architects or fashion designers that recommended against creativity would be absurd. But, when it comes to sales, creativity can do more harm than good in developing a sales opportunity. While it’s often necessary to get creative solving a prospect's problems, being creative and straying from the following sequence in the process of taking a selling opportunity to a close is dangerous:

1) Establish trust: The salesperson must begin by bonding and establishing credibility with a new contact to improve the efficiency of the interaction. Without trust at the outset, communication is inefficient and progress slow. 2) Be upfront: Verbally stating intentions for the interaction including the anticipated agenda of the prospect and the possible outcomes, including “no fit”, sets the context for candor in the rest of the process. 3) Qualify: Qualify or disqualify opportunities by: a) Identifying compelling reasons to buy, b) Uncovering the resources they have to make the buy, and c) Understanding the prospect’s decision process and criteria. 4) Presenting to fit: Gain agreement to present solutions, in exchange for a decision, to proceed or terminate, then present the solution in the terms that the prospect used to describe their situation. 5) Plan next steps: It’s critical for a healthy relationship that both understand what actions each are committed to, to get the relationship off on the right footing.

Creating trouble Using the process outlined above, let’s examine how getting creative with the sales sequence and rearranging or omitting one or more of its elements can make trouble for the salesperson. *Discussing budgets or pricing (3b) before fully defining the prospect’s problems, goals, needs, or wants (3a). Trouble: This can scare off a “real” prospect, before the salesperson has established any value in the mind (or heart) of the prospect. *Presenting solutions (Step 4) to the prospect's problem before having a clear picture of the problem (Step 3a). Trouble: This can confuse or lead the prospect to believe that the solution doesn’t quite fit, leading to noncommittal feedback like: “I want to think it over” or “We’ll call you.” *Sending a proposal (Step 4) before finding out how or when the prospect will make a buying decision (Step 3c). Trouble: This can result in both of the previous outcomes and also the prospect’s using the proposal to gain better terms from another vendor (“free consulting”). *Delivering proposals or making presentations (Step 4) without the prospect's up front commitment to make a decision (Step 2). Trouble: The most frustrating outcome of no decision at all, usually leading to lots of “follow-up” calls to the prospect and the prospect not answering or returning the calls. A clear decision not to buy is much more valuable to a sales person, if saved time and opportunity costs of follow up are considered.

Selling is a process A salesperson who is creative and wanders through sales processes with no clear sequence typically gets poor and unpredictable results. While it’s often necessary to get socially creative while bonding with a new contact, or get technically creative in devising a solution for a particular prospect's problems, being creative in sequencing a sales process is dangerous and can produce more trouble than revenue. ©Copyright 2010 Marr Professional Development Corporation

Joe Marr is a public speaker, sales and management consultant and trainer, and runs the Sandler Sales Institute at 501 Avis Drive in Ann Arbor. To get more information on Selling Smart training sessions being conducted this season, call: 734-821-4830 or visit his website at www.sandlerannarbor.com