“Drawling is putting a line around an idea.” Henri Matisse

While interviewing for a sales job, the hiring manager asked me to describe myself as a salesperson. My answer: “I am a creative salesperson.’ While it is easy to silo sales and creativity into two categories – the best sales professionals are creative. They are not afraid to take chances and thrive on ideation and collaboration. Sales is a creative profession. Creativity is unique for everyone – and in one sales person it might be creating a new pitch – or figuring out a new technical demo view for a client.

As sales professionals it is okay to embrace creativity! Whether you are selling tax software or starting a side business – sales is a creative business.

I thrive on creativity. I love to create. I spend my free time painting, playing music, and writing stories. It seems like these traits wouldn’t improve my sales career – but creativity has taught me to be flexible and to be open to new ideas.

Creativity is also about strategy. Creativity still requires a certain discipline. If you want to play piano – you have to practice. If you want to compose a decent song you cannot just pound on the keyboard – you need to know chords or scales. A lucky few can play by ear, but the rhythm is still grounded in method. Beats per minute.

Sales allows us to think outside the box and to dream of a better future state for our client.

Sales invites us to be creative sellers with our passions.

Have you ever wanted to start a side business – but didn’t think it was worth your time? Creative selling helps you to act on ideation – so you can back up your creative ideas with business solutions.

Creative Selling (my definition): using our unique talents and ideas to help empower our clients and solve business problems. Creative Selling also helps your ideas become actionable goals so you can sell your passions in your career (corporate job and/or side hustle)

My biggest talent is my creativity – it is my superpower because it helps me stay engaged in every situation and always be problem solving. You have creative attributes too and it is okay to bring those ideas use creative selling.

In the coming months I will be running a Creative Selling Series.

This will focus on two different segments of Creative Selling:

• Solution Selling/Technical Sales: think traditional SaaS or B2B/B2C business models (aka ‘your typical day job’ in sales)
• Creative Passion Selling – do you have a side business outside of your 9 to 5? Do you want to grow that business to sell your passion (ex: art, music, clothing, pottery, the list goes on)

I am leaning heavily into Creative Selling as I navigate my new job. I’m four months into the role and every day I’m faced with difficult challenges and using creative selling helps me to think outside the obstacles in front of me and figure out ways to overcome and growth in my career. It has helped me to look on how I can create an action plan for change with the client.

Outside of my ‘9 to 5 role’ – I’m also pursuing my own side business ‘Adele Lassiter Creative – Fresh Art and Fiction’

Selling my acrylic landscapes online demands a business plan while leaning into my creative mindset. I will share lessons from my journey as an online Artist and novelist (trying to land a literary agent).

How do you sell creatively? What are strengths that are not traditionally creative (art, music) – but are ‘creative selling tools’ in your arsenal (communicator, social seller?)

Love to hear your thoughts!

If you want to check out my art business, check out my sister site Adele Lassiter Creative and my Etsy page

Also add me on Instagram and LinkedIn

https://www.instagram.com/adelelassiter/