1. Kevin O’Brien, Senior Lecturer,Sales and Marketing Jeff Dienhart, Managing Director, UK Medical Division,Hearst Corporation Beth Rogers, Principal Lecturer, Sales Management Are creative thinkers the best sales people?

2. Don’t bother me with your fancy new products ………I’ve a war to fight

3. Agenda How do we define a best salesperson? How do we define creativity? Why does good selling need creative thinking skills? How do we develop creative thinking skills? 3

4. How would you describe “ a good salesperson”? 4

5. Good salespeople Short-term: Bring in revenue Are we concerned about discount, buyer remorse, ethics? Long-term: Bring in the revenue Profitable deals Customer satisfaction Uphold company’s reputation 5

6. Why this customer should buy (versus doing nothing)? Why should this customer buy from us versus any other supplier? 6

7. 7 Questioning Imagining Presenting

8. 8 VISIONARY Future focused Collaborative Relationship dependent SOLUTION-FOCUSED Looks at root causes 2 way dialogue Value based TRANSACTIONAL Client led Competitive Price driven Sales Strategy Hierarchy

9. 9 Rogers, 2007 The Business Relationship Development Box

10. How would you define “creativity”? 10

11. Creativity Newness Value Derived from: Past experience and learning “Compare/contrast/analyse” or play with knowledge Re-segment and reconnect to make something different Application 11

12. How would a good salesperson use creative thinking skills? 12

13. 13 Solving problems Competitive edge Relationship- building

14. Who cares about salespeople’s ideas? Purchasing decision-makers “Knows the company better than we do” “Comes to us with ideas we hadn’t thought of” “Makes me look good when I take the idea forward” But it is not always cosy Suggesting how something can be done better is a challenge to the status quo Colleagues? Salespeople complain about having to do more selling internally than externally! 14

15. How would you develop “creativity”? 15

16. Generating creativity Asking for it, talking about it How is x being used? What if...? Giving time and opportunity for ideas in meetings Bring hobbies, sports, non-work things into problem- solving Circulate ideas Take an interest in failed ideas as well as successful ones Use a researcher to find and circulate information about customers and competition Gather comments from up and down the supply chain Symbolic/financial reward 16

17. Generating creativity Communication Customers, colleagues, channel partners Content Bounce ideas around (positive and “negative with reversal”) Scenario planning (what if?) Why-why maps Working through analogies 17

18. So what was the question ? Are creative thinkers the best sales people? Are creative thinkers the best sales people? It depends. 18

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