No matter your sector or industry, the Creative Conversion Method can help you reach many of your sales goals. Read on to learn more about how you can implement and leverage the Creative Conversion Method in your business.
The Quest for More Sales
Sales leaders like you are impressive. You not only have to reach sales targets that your organization requires, but you need to manage all kinds of relationships. Sure, you need to make sure that you and your sales colleagues are firing on all cylinders. But beyond that, you need to continuously build and maintain relationships with all types of prospects.
It’s a tough job. The reality, however, is that there are certain things you can do today to get a 30 to 300% lift on what you are doing in your sales work. A big part of that is being creative. It is about getting out of your shell, creating compelling content for any type of audience, and building strong relationships. By doing this, you can substantially increase the odds of generating more sales—both now and in the future.
In this blog post, I want to speak about the Creative Conversion Method and how you can leverage this concept in your business. As part of this discussion, we will touch on topics like research, writing, and recording. This entire discussion occurred in a recent episode of RevShow, so if you’d like to see the conversation in its entirety, go ahead and watch the video above.
Whether you work for a small company or a much larger organization, you can use the Creative Conversion Method to reach your sales goals. All you need to do is read this post and get started today.
Going Back to School
I want to start this discussion by sharing a brief story. The story may not seem relevant on the surface, but it does put forth a lesson that we can take when creating content and connecting with prospects.
Specifically, this story goes back to a study that was done on class photos of graduating classes. What is really interesting about the study is that there was a direct correlation between the amount of creativity and fun the participants were having in their class photos and how successful they were going to be.
It’s an interesting study. The main takeaway, clearly, isn’t that clowning equals converting. Being silly does not mean that you are going to achieve all of your business goals. Instead of that, the key point is that being creative, having access to your inner child, and being vulnerable can create the most connections and conversions.
This is ultimately what the Creative Conversion Method is all about. By implementing the Creative Conversion Method, you and your team will learn some exciting and impactful things that will increase your bottom line and your team’s bottom line.
The Creative Conversion Method Explained
So what is the Creative Conversion Method? It is all about making connections that cause conversations that cause conversions. The very basis for all of this is creativity.
This entire discussion involves the idea of vulnerability. You will notice that some very successful people do not have a problem being vulnerable. They are open and have a deep connection with their inner child. Because of this, these individuals are more likely to start conversations, share stories, sometimes crack jokes, and generally make people laugh and smile. While it may seem natural for these individuals to behave this way, much of this behavior comes from taking risks. There’s no guarantee that a story will be compelling or that a joke will succeed, yet these individuals decide to take the risk anyway.
The reality? The more of an adult that we become, the less that we want to take risks. We try to avoid ruffling feathers and our inner child slowly begins to disappear. For you, this means that if you really want to make connections with people in a sales context, it’s critical to maintain a certain amount of vulnerability. It helps to have a fun, joyous, and loving spirit so that others will want to play with you in the sandbox.
The Importance of Mindset
So when we are trying to break down this idea of creativity, we must focus on mindset. All of our successes start in the mind and go forward.
One of the more significant points about mindset is how important it is to avoid limiting beliefs. In other words, you don’t want to put limits on who you are or what you can achieve. By doing that, you are effectively stunting your growth. You are doing yourself a disservice because you aren’t able to live up to your full potential.
There are plenty of reasons why we have limiting beliefs. To be honest, diving deep into all of these reasons definitely goes beyond the scope of this post. That said, some of the drivers of our limiting beliefs can include trauma, physical appearance, or even things that people have said about us behind our backs. Basically, these things that are stuck in your mind force you to come to an agreement with yourself. That agreement is limiting and makes it much tougher for you to reach your short-term and long-term goals.
It is important to release yourself from these limiting beliefs. I’m not saying that it is easy, but it is a critical step in leveraging the Creative Conversion Method. There are plenty of instances where people hear others say, “Hey, you’re not very good on video.” Those naysayers may also say, “You’re not very good on the phone” or “You’re not very creative.” While it may really hurt to hear those things in the moment, you need to take those false accusations and throw them in the trash. You are creative and you are good enough to do these sorts of things. All you need to do is open your mind.
That is why mindset is so important. You need to lean into your vibe.
Once we conclude that there is something that we are not good at, our mind naturally agrees with that conclusion. In other words, neurologically, that conclusion becomes true in our minds. There is an old saying that the neurons that fire together, wire together. This means that you need to be cautious of making an agreement that is not true. Chances are that you are good on video. You are creative and you are a great storyteller. You just need some practice.
One great example is from Jim Carrey. We may think of Jim as this A-list celebrity who was always destined for success. As he explained in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jim relied on visualization to achieve his goals. He would be driving back home and think, “I do have these qualities for success. They are out there, but I just don’t have a hold of them yet.” He kept working, relying on positive thinking, and ultimately achieved massive success in Hollywood. These ideas are heavily influenced by Napoleon Hill and Think and Grow Rich. It’s not about “faking it until you make it,” but rather having a mindset of abundance. Know that everything is already out there. You just need to access it.
These principles go beyond yourself. As a sales leader, you must instill these principles within your team. Get them invigorated and create an environment where they can create content without fear of judgment or criticism. Ultimately, creativity is the fire that starts this whole thing for everybody. That shift in mindset for sales leaders like you is transformational. It is invigorating to start on that basis.
By doing all of this, you can tamp down those shadow beliefs. Then, you and your sales team share more positive beliefs. You believe in each other and your creativity. You also believe in the fact that when you root for your colleagues, the results will come.
Embrace the Human-to-Human Connection
In the sales industry, we often hear about rapid turnover. This turnover is usually because of a bad product, a bad boss, or a bad economy. Very few times will someone say, “It is my fault.” Usually, these departing employees will pass the buck.
At the same time, the fact of the matter is that most people quit because of a bad boss. A bad boss simply means someone that is making the departing employee uncomfortable about a situation or themself. As a sales leader, the key here is caring about the struggle that your colleagues are going through. It’s not about giving them a hard time about missing their sales quota. Instead, it is about asking that employee how everything is going. You can even go further and ask them about their family life. After all, they don’t care how much we know unless they know how much we care.
And this is where we reach a fundamental truth. Sales is not a numbers game. It is all about the human-to-human connection. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about the Creative Conversion Method and implementing the lessons in this post. We are in the business of human connection, so even if it is difficult, put those pressures about sales quotas and sales marks in the back of your mind. Ironically, if you embrace the human-to-human connection, you will find that you will more easily hit your sales quotas and sales goals.
Beware CRM Systems
One of the biggest inhibitors of creativity in sales involves customer relationship management (CRM) systems. While CRM systems are supposed to help us manage relationships and stay in touch with customers, they often become sales or fund destruction machines.
Why is that? CRMs are often viewed as a micromanagement tool. They are seen as ways that upper management can manage what the sales team is doing. This is a real phenomenon and exists because CRM systems are flawed. They are not designed so that we can communicate creatively. Instead, they are created to help us manage data.
When we think about sales in making connections, we tend to consider things like video. This is because video lets us connect, share stories, and turn those connections into conversions. If you really think about it, video is an emotional bridge. If you can create an emotional connection with a prospect or another person, you are going to be in an outstanding place. Beyond rapport, there are shared values. If you have shared values, that relationship can get even deeper.
At Dubb, we understand the importance of video, strong emotional connections, and where the standard CRM system comes up short. Because of this, we have built what we call the “sales operating system.” We believe it is powerful because it is so easy to record a video and share it with a prospect. From there, we have also created tools that help you automate the process. As always, if you want to learn more about Dubb, I encourage you to contact us.
Let’s Talk About Planning
Now that we have discussed the creative aspects of the Creative Conversion Method, I want to talk about planning. This is one of the most important parts of this conversation and one of your most important roles as a sales leader.
We like to look at planning by understanding who it is that we are actually trying to connect with. In other words, we are trying to get at our ideal client profile. We ask questions like, “What is it that this particular client wants to hear from us? What do they want to receive from us?
At Dubb, we embrace a content-first strategy. This means that we are doing research, writing, and recording videos. Once we have our content, it brings us to life. We can plan out our email campaigns, how we are going to proceed with one-to-one communication, and how to build automated smart sequences.
Speaking of communication, you probably won’t be surprised to hear me argue that cold calls don’t work. If you have read this blog for quite some time, you likely know that there are plenty of negatives associated with cold calling. On the other hand, smart calls and smart communication work. Smart communication is driven by data, which is driven and set up through emails, SMS messages, and drip sequences (we call them “trust sequences”) that we create. Ultimately, all of the things that have gone into the back end of creating what we have at Dubb are driven by creativity. That creativity comes out in the sales operating system and is distributed to your prospects, clients, and sales team. In sum, creative is the new conversion.
When you are thinking about creating content and planning on reaching out to your specific prospects, I encourage you to watch a clip from Mad Men. At Dubb, Mad Men is one of our favorite shows of all time. In the clip in the video above, you can see that Don Draper’s firm is about to lose Kodak as a client. Draper saves the day by sharing his best possible story about how Kodak can market their carousel.
There are a few takeaways from this clip. First, Don Draper made his pitch completely emotional. He did his research and understood what the buyers of Kodak’s carousel were after (which was to essentially get a time machine). The buyers wanted to go back to another time to see memories. Those memories could be joyous or even painful. The emotion that he uses in the pitch is so powerful.
Then, the second takeaway is how vulnerable he is in the pitch. We can actually see Don get teary-eyed about his children, his wife, and his marriage. That vulnerability and innocence of the inner child connect with people. To reiterate, as a sales leader, you should think about how you can use your vulnerability to make strong connections (and ultimately relationships) with individuals you see on a daily basis.
Finally, this scene is a great example of leading with value. Leading with value is an essential part of the Creative Conversion Method and is basically a requirement for any video that you create. So when you are sending a Dubb video, you are essentially sending an emotional message. Whether you use Dubb or some other tool, make sure that you are planning, leading with value, and establishing an emotional connection with your audience. Doing this lets you leverage the Creative Conversion Method to generate more sales.
Getting Started with the Creative Conversion Method
At Dubb, we are all about commuting with video. That is what our system does and we love helping our community reach their sales goals.
So to get started with the Creative Conversion Method, I recommend several easy steps on the Dubb platform.
First, get the free Dubb Chrome extension. You can find it by clicking here. Once you download and install the Chrome extension, go ahead and record a personalized video for a prospect. When you are recording that video, think about recording a selfie video with that prospect’s LinkedIn page or website as your background. By doing this, you can show the prospect that you have done your research. For instance, you can show them that you know how many people work on their team. You can reference past social media posts or share some interesting news from their industry or sector. While you don’t want to be overly creepy, using video to show that you’ve done your research helps build trust. It sends a signal that you put in the time to understand who the prospect is. Because of that, the prospect will feel more inclined to give you more time and respect. Thousands of people have used this method. It works.
Secondly, replace cold prospecting with a video email newsletter. A video email newsletter is so powerful because it combines sales and marketing. It gets your brand message out there. Not only that, but it provides you with a social, shareable video that educates people on your product or service. Finally, it gets people to respond. Instead of burning bridges and wasting time on cold emails, consider sending a video email newsletter with an educational and entertaining video.
Finally, in your video, talk about a story that your viewer can connect with. Make sure that you are being empathetic. This is where your research comes into play. By getting a sense of what your viewer is looking for, you can create an extremely compelling video that can move that viewer down your trust sequence. You are able to invest in a similar outcome and proceed on a journey to mutual success. Connect on a story sharing level and your work will pay off in spades.
The Future is Yours for the Taking
The Creative Conversion Method can be a massive value-add for your business. From the smallest startups to the largest corporations, it can help you build stronger relationships and generate more sales.
Storytelling requires many things. It requires vulnerability, empathy, and, most importantly, the desire to make an impact on someone. In this story, the hero isn’t you. Rather, it is the person that is on the other side of the line. It’s not the person that you want to close. Instead, it is the individual that you want to create a relationship with.
The Creative Conversion method combines all of these things that are rooted in creativity, empathy, and connection. As a sales leader, if you and your team don’t believe in these things, what do you believe in? You may say your product or service, but even still, they should be rooted in these important qualities (creativity, empathy, and connection). In sum, lead with value and don’t hesitate to leverage asynchronous video in your favor. The future is yours for the taking.
To learn more about the Creative Conversion Method and how it can help you accomplish your sales goals, don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to discuss not only this topic, but anything else about sales, marketing, and how video can help you reach your goals. Reach out today!
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