CREATIVITY! You Can’t Just Tell Someone To Be Creative!

People think of creatives as artists, musicians, dancers, writers, and the like. Yet creativity is in everything we do, every day. You can’t tell someone to be creative and expect them to just do it. Experiencing creativity is powerful, and it expands with each additional opportunity. It is a risk to take, but the benefits are mighty.

Let’s talk about the myths surrounding creativity. Again, the first is that creative work is for artists, performers, advertisers, writers, inventors, etc. I guess this would explain the use of scripts and the endless practice of memorizing them for real estate. Do what we say—it works! Don't think for yourself! There is data to support the "this works" idea. FYI, copying is not creative.

When it comes to this stuff, I go a little nuts. I do think I am creative, and I use it in everything I do. I am a creative thinker. Sales coaches and trainers point to data that they say proves their formula for what to say or how to sell and that it works. Usually, in webinars, this is when I stop listening. There may be a connection, and that connection is different for each person.

So, is sales science? Maybe.

Let me say that, if anything, sales connects to social science. How do our minds work? What influences human behavior? How do we study or understand social interaction? Social science uses research to understand these behaviors. That research usually consists of surveys, interviews, observations, and sometimes some experiments. It is different from pure science.

Pure science, in general, is the study of the natural world. Rigorous experiments are done by proposing a hypothesis, testing it to see if it's true, and making adjustments along the way. This process is one of skepticism, or questioning results and continuing the testing to come to a conclusion. If you can't prove your hypothesis false, it is considered to be true. Pure science is driven by curiosity rather than practical implications.

Pure science aims to expand knowledge and understanding of the natural world, while social science seeks to understand human behavior, society, and social interactions to address practical issues.

So why the science lecture? Creativity in large doses is needed. Engineering is a super-creative field. It's just a bit different than what we think of when we think of engineers. It's the same with sales. Getting creative does not mean proposing ridiculous ideas or even making them up. I feel there is a need to clarify because there are lots of ideas revolving around what science supposedly says that salespeople should do.

Great sellers love to be creative. It makes them thrive. New ideas, new ways of doing something, uncovering an unknown...

Questions to ponder:

● What does that make me feel?

● What do I see?

● Why is this important?

● What could happen next? Make predictions!

● What did you learn by working with others, and how can you apply it to future tasks?

Another myth is about "right brainers." This idea was brought to prominence by Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind: How Right Brains Will Rule the World. The thinking here is that creativity comes from the right brain, and logic and analytical thinking come from the left brain. This has since been debunked. It was quite a fad ten years ago or so. I can tell you that I was called a right-brained, and I knew I wasn't. I felt like a fairly good mix, which we all are. Creativity is a trait that we all have. In some cases, it has not been encouraged. Creativity takes different forms. I would say to find yours and use it.

The final myth is that creativity must take traditional forms: art, music, dance, and so on. It is hard to describe or teach, but it can be taught and learned. Maybe the best word was discovered. It is often the saving grace for the daily trials and tribulations of life. Whatever it is you do, allow yourself to be creative. It may help you find true meaning and joy in what you do.

Creativity lends itself to problem-solving and sales. Real estate, in particular, is a problem to solve for someone. Give yourself creative time every day, and don't be afraid of the results. Connect to your inner child and ignite your creativity!

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