We are all afraid of being too "Out There"

Haven't you done this? You have a crazy idea for a meeting or sales call, and get really excited but then think..."I can't do that. People will think I'm unprofessional."

Instead you do something else, something more standard, and make no impression and your message is ignored and forgotten. There is a difference between being professional and just plain boring. 

It's the start of a new year and I challenge you to bring more of your creativity to the game of communication. I've worked in B2B companies for decades and I've been told that I had to be more "corporate". Early in my career I was a sales engineer doing demos for prospects, and I would break into impressions during meetings. My VP told me that it in big meetings I should cut out the fun and stick to business. And you know something, he was wrong. 

I didn't realize it at the time, but bringing some personality and fun into meetings gave me the opportunity to tell stories and made my demos memorable. I was talking to people not a corporation, and regardless of the size of the enterprise in which those people worked I still needed to connect at a human level. 

Never be afraid of adding creativity. Could it backfire? Sure, but don't let that stop you from doing something different. I've found that the quirky sales person that knows his or her stuff is the one that is remembered, and being remembered is the first step in closing the deal.

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