Where is creativity today? September 20, 2009
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What are you noticing in society, government and the world in general that shows creativity in thinking?
HOW TO DESERVE GREAT CREATIVE WORK. July 9, 2009
Posted by brain activist in How to sell creative ideas.Tags: creativity, teams
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I noticed something I never forgot during my first job as a Creative Director. I managed 8 “creative” people, 4 teams. At first I thought I knew which were the strong ones and which were weaker. Then I noticed that the “weaker” people did some great work and the “stronger” did some lousy work….the difference was the client! Some clients always got terrific results no matter who worked on their project.
Stellar clients give us lots of background information, approve the research we need , are open-minded, don’t have preconceived ideas about what the solution will be, and allow us to take risks that didn’t always pan out. Their contributions always made the work better. Also, they made quick decisions trusting their instincts rather than over-thinking something to death. They’re also terrific at getting the work approved in their company and I suspect it’s because these same qualities gain them trust at the top levels.
Most of my current clients are like that. I pick them as carefully as they pick their marketing partner because I want to do good work and I know we can’t do it without them. This would translate to an employer too. Do all of the above with your employees and I’ll bet you’ll get better solutions. Inspire people and allow them to be great.
THE PROBLEM WITH TOMORROW April 29, 2009
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Tomorrow has a way of expanding, often to never. I admit that I’m frequently too fast in doing things, but I’d opt for this “get the ball rolling” approach over the prolonged procrastination that kills many creative ideas. There’s a lot to be said for momentum and initial enthusiasm, and when harnessed, it can lead to many good starts. I’m not suggesting that you act so hastily that you haven’t thought things through, just that you don’t wait for “perfect”, because that’s a moving target you’ll never hit. Get going!
CHARGE WHAT YOU’RE WORTH December 4, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to sell creative ideas.Tags: presentations
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I was thinking recently of the best and worst meetings I’ve ever had and what made them so, and this one came to mind. It was a good one.
I was the last agency to pitch an 18 year old company that never had an advertising agency . It was unusual for me, because most of my business generally came from referrals, and I didn’t know anyone here. They contacted me after viewing my website. I found that surprising because I never though any work would come from our website, good as it was.
My presentation was brief, about two hours, and the owners were present. It was a family owned company . After the presentation, they asked me to step outside, then after about 15 minutes they called me back in and said, “We just met with 5 agencies in the past two weeks. You’re 4 times more expensive than the most high-priced. But you’re the first one that actually made sense and proposed a process we think would get us where we hope to go. Let’s get to work on a contract.”
So, on the spot, I made a seven figure deal. I was very surprised at the speed of their decision, and at their willingness to commit the amount to the undertaking. It was a good lesson is never being afraid to ask what you feel is the value of your contribution. I think truthfully, I was only comfortably asking it because I didn’t think I had a chance of getting the account. If I had an inside track or felt there was a chance, I probably would have tried harder to get it which would have meant trying to come in at an acceptable price.
Lesson learned.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE BEGINNING August 4, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to sell creative ideas.Tags: creative pitches, presentations
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One of the worst creative presentations I ever had was with UPS. It was one of the rare times that I participated in a pitch with another company. This was their contact and I was happy to have the opportunity.
The presentation took place in a huge room with theater seating. My co-presenter and I were in the “pit” part of the room and the 8 people from UPS were in one small part of this big room. It was already uncomfortable. The group was very unresponsive and not at all interactive. My partner went through her part which was basically her canned PowerPoint about her company. She was a very good presenter and had done this many times.
Then I presented the creative work. It was mediocre which was truly a first for me. We generally present great work and I’m very fired up and can’t wait to show it. This was different because 1) we didn’t have proper input; 2) there was very little time; 3) the brief we were given actually turned out to be wrong; and 4) there were lots of politics invovled in that there was an in-house agency (present at this meeting) who felt the work should go to them.
This dud of a performance made me truly appreciate the importance of the critical front-end input I was always used to getting, and of being well informed about the situation. If you want something to go perfectly, I believe you have to run the show from the beginning. But that’s just me. How about you?
SOMETIMES THE WRONG WORD IS BETTER. June 17, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to sell creative ideas.Tags: branding, selling ideas, using creativity to sell
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Sometimes the right word can throw people off. For example, I often discuss branding, a frequently misunderstood word . So now, instead of talking about branding, I talk about something that can’t be misunderstood. I’ll refer to their opportunity to create a unique experience that would engage their customers and increase sales. This is branding, but it’s more easily understood. It won’t be taken for a discussion about a logo.
When making radio commercials or movies, the sound people will use a different sound that sounds more like the real thing than the real sound. I’m just making this part up, but maybe crunched paper sounds more like breaking glass than the glass itself.
So be creative when you’re presently a solution and put yourself in the listener’s seat. Use words that can’t be misunderstood, even if they’re not the right word. The result will be right, and that’s more important.
THE BENEFITS OF CONSIDERING, MAYBE THEY’RE RIGHT. June 17, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to think creatively.Tags: creative thinking, imagination in government, innovative decision-making
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Naturally we all look at things from our particular point of view. Unfortunately, that generally means that most people don’t give adequate consideration to things that contradict their thinking. This is particularly acute, and potentially deadly, when it comes to government. But it’s not a productive attitude in business or life either. I think truly smart people, and definitely creative people, are open to changing their mind.
A good question to ask yourself when someone is telling you something you don’t agree with is, “What if that’s right?”. Just consider the possibilities of where accepting that thinking might lead. Or even just a piece off it.
If you’re not willing to change your mind and/or update your thinking, you probably won’t end up with many innovative solutions.
(Tell us about times when you’ve reconsidered and made a better decision.)
LISTEN ACTIVELY. May 16, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to think creatively.Tags: creative listening, getting input, innovation
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Hearing between the lines is a valuable skill. There is generally much more to what people are telling you than what they might be saying. This is especially true when getting input for an assignment. I try to be an active listener, which strangely enough, often involves interrupting. I try not to interrupt too much, but if I stop the conversation right where it is and either probe further or maybe redirect it just a tad, we get someplace we might not have been. Ending up with an unexpected solution can start with how you listen to the first conversation.
HAVE A MAP, BUT NOT A GUIDE. April 10, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to think creatively.Tags: creative process, creative thinking
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Think about the difference between a trip taken with a tour guide and one where you head out in your car, map in hand. On a guided tour, you end up where you’re supposed to, a designated place. With a map, there’s the possibility of an interesting side road where you say, let’s look there.
Why even have a map, you might be thinking. Because to get started, you have to be headed somewhere, but that doesn’t have to be where you end up. Be willing to arrive at a place you weren’t headed for.
Welcome detours. Often that’s where the good stuff it.
BIG TEAMS: POLITICAL, NOT PRODUCTIVE. April 10, 2008
Posted by brain activist in How to think creatively.Tags: innovation, teams
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One thing I’ve consistently noticed is that outcomes hardly ever get better with big teams. As a matter of fact, I’d say the more people in the room, the worse the final product or idea. This is especially true when trying to come up with creative or innovative solutions.
The reason for this I think is it usually goes like this: someone has an idea, maybe someone else makes it better, but after that it starts to get diluted. The next person “has a concern” so the thought is kicked back a little, and it goes down from there.
Next time you’re in a group think, watch and see if this happens. There’s really not much you can do about it at that point with 12 or 30 or 100 of you trying to agree. But next time you’re in charge of organizing a project that requires groundbreaking thinking and innovation, keep it small.
(Please share your experiences with teams.)
