Use Your Head It's not enough just to sell anymore. Now every potential client is looking for a few creative ideas to go with your sales pitch.

Most of us don't associate the word "creative"with "selling." For some, "creative" conjuresup images of starving artists dressed in black, "trying tomake a statement" with paint and old auto parts."Creative" people wear berets and read The VillageVoice. Salespeople wear ties and read The Wall StreetJournal.

At least those are the popular stereotypes. But don'tsalespeople create things, too-like opportunity? Don'tsalespeople create demand for products and services? Customersatisfaction? Wealth?

The nature of the sales process is, in fact, creative. A goodsalesperson creates demand where it doesn't exist. He or shecreates a message (the sales pitch) using various media (facecalls, telephone calls, written presentations, slide shows) thatinfluence an audience (the prospect). A salesperson explores newterritories (cold calls), introduces new ways of thinking(persuades prospects) and makes the world a better place (providescustomer satisfaction).