How To Sell Great Creative

It can be one of the biggest hurdles to a campaign or marketing initiative – selling the creative. Chances are if the creative is great – it’s also scary. The best ideas make you nervous. They keep you up at night.

As a creative, you’re asking your client to join you in promoting your exciting (and sometimes risky) idea. Make sure you have solid, strategic reasons for doing so. The reward has to be worth it.

Here’s how to sell it:
1. Be prepared.
2. Get feedback and buy-in from your internal team members before the pitch, so they can help cheerlead the big idea.
3. Show and explain the facts and strategy behind it.
4. Consider all scenarios and potential pitfalls. Address them with solid reasoning, examples and statistics.
5. Put yourself in the clients’ shoes. Feel the pressure they feel, listen to their ideas, anticipate their objections and welcome their questions.
6. Show visuals, bring props and use analogies to explain your idea.
7. Practice! Get in front of a mirror to see what your audience will see.
8. Start with a headline that sums up the big idea: “We’re going to increase market share by 300%.” 
9. Give them an outline: “We’ll reach our goal with a five-part plan: Social media, loyalty programs, landing pages, SEO and online ads.
10. Don’t discount objections or concerns to save your original idea. Their ideas and questions can lead to an even stronger idea.
11. Look the part. Ninety-three percent of what people perceive about you and your idea is non-verbal. Dress professionally. Smile. Use your hands when you talk. Show enthusiasm and passion for your idea. Speak loudly and clearly. Be real.
12. On the other hand, silence is golden. Don’t feel pressure to fill it with words. Let your idea sink in. Your client may feel compelled to fill the silence and you may get your best insights simply by listening.

You have to convince your audience that your idea is worth the chance and the risk. And, sometimes that takes more than one meeting. Know when to fall back and push forward on another day.