Giving it the Creative Sell

• Introduce the exercise, outlining its aim and objectives.
• Arrange the team into a large semicircle and distribute the task sheets.
• Give everyone a few moments to read over the task sheet and then distribute one object to each team member.
• Inform them that they each have 10 minutes to consider why their object is the most exciting ever invented. They should write their ideas down on their task sheets and begin considering how best to sell this object to the other team members. They should bear in mind that they only have two minutes in which to present their thoughts.
• Ask for a volunteer to do the first presentation. This person should stand up and present their object to the group. Remind them that they are really trying to sell this object to the others, so they should be as persuasive as possible. Stop after the two minutes have elapsed.
• After the first presentation, go clockwise round the group and invite each of the team members to take a turn at presenting.
• Continue until everyone in the team has presented their object.

Review Activity (10 Minutes)

Once everyone has had a go, invite team members to share their thoughts on the exercise. You might find the following questions useful for encouraging discussion.

• Which objects were most appealing and why?
• Was it the way in which it was presented or the object itself?
• What style of presentation appealed most?
• Were some people more persuasive than others?
• Did some people take the ‘hard sell’ approach?
• Were some more enthusiastic about their product?
• How important were the creative ideas behind the objects?
• Did someone amaze people with their creative approach?
• How important was the information in the presentation?
• Were the best presentations those that contained lots of facts about the workings of the object?
• Were the best presentations those that made the group feel differently about the object?

Pull together all the key learning points from the discussion into a list of top tips that team members can use back at work to enhance their creative presentation or sales skills. Write the tips up on a flipchart for everyone to see and take notes.

Apply Learning (10 Minutes)

Discuss how team members currently present/sell their team’s/organization’s product or service. In light of what they have learned during this exercise, what can they now do to improve their approach? Note down some ideas.

Task Sheet: Giving it the Creative Sell

Use this exercise to help you develop your creative presentation skills or sales techniques. It takes place at a fictional World’s Fair type event. You will be given a random, everyday object that you must then sell to the spectators (the other team members) as the greatest invention ever.

Task

You will be given an everyday object.

Spend about 10 minutes thinking about the object and how you will sell it as the best thing ever to your spectators.

You can be as creative and outlandish as you wish. There are no constraints on the object’s properties. You may want to consider some of the following questions to help you form your sales pitch:

• What is it?
• Is that all it is?
• What can it do?
• Why should people want it?
• What makes it special?
• What’s the best way to sell it to people?
• How should it be marketed?

Everyone will be invited to take a turn at presenting/selling their object to the rest of the group. You each have two minutes to do so.