Your Ideas Sell

Your Ideas Sell
All great sales and marketing strategies begin as a fertile
idea. Entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and fresh ideas go
hand in hand. My new Idea Sellers blog logo reflects this
thinking. The "swooshes" capture and highlight the words
"Ideas Sell" in an effort to remind us that all of our
ideas are important and worthy of our further scrutiny.
Ideas do indeed sell.

The action we implement on a valid idea is critical to the
success of our goals. Consider the word "change." It might
be associated with any number of thoughts. If you think of
money, it becomes the coins received back from your dollar
after a purchase. If you have a baby, change involves a
nasty diaper. It could refer to replacement of one thing
for another. Change could refer to a transfer, such as
changing planes. It might also reflect transformation such
as a change of seasons or perhaps an alteration of
circumstances.

Change is possibly the most utilized word and projected
idea in this early presidential political season. It is
becoming clear that most people want to see political
change in Washington. What does the word mean in this
context? Change in this instance means the dissolution of
special interest groups that dictate policy, reform in
health care and social security, an end to the war and the
end of doing business as usual. Change is virtually
synonymous with "successfully shaking up Washington."

Change is a potent and volatile idea. It creates tremendous
emotion and stimulates bold action. Change is a powerful
idea that sells; just ask Barak Obama! Ending the "business
as usual" policies is the core of their campaigns.

What about your sales campaign? Is it business as usual or
are your prospects and customers demanding change as well?
If you are paying attention to them, and you had better be,
they will tell you exactly how to do business with them and
explain how they want to be treated. Are you listening? Do
you think our "red and blue" presidential candidates are
listening?

All ideas need work. Whether your strategy for developing
great ideas includes the development of mind-maps, the use
of mastermind groups or simply dreaming, the creative
process must prevail if you are to be successful in selling
your ideas to others. Being intangible, your ideas come to
fruition when they are painted and constructed in the
mind's-eye of your customer. The successful sale of your
ideas is more likely to occur in a relationship context.

If your customer believes in and trusts in you, they will
accept your ideas as valid. So, the successful sale first
occurs when you sell yourself. Your ideas sell as a result.
Selling is synonymous with "creating ideas for finding
solutions." Selling your ideas is a winning strategy that
always pays dividends.

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Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year sales career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com