October 9

How To: Selling Creative Ideas to Risk-Averse Clients

Selling creative ideas in today’s marketing world can feel like navigating a minefield. Clients are more cautious than ever, prioritizing data and performance over bold, imaginative campaigns. As someone who’s been in the agency game for over 30 years, I’ve seen the tides turn. But don’t worry—there are effective ways to pitch those innovative concepts without hitting too many roadblocks. Let’s dive into some strategies that can help you win over even the most hesitant clients.

Your Client's Challenge: Bridging Creativity & Business 

First off, let’s set the record straight. Clients aren’t just cautious because they’re scared of taking risks. On the contrary, many are deeply committed to blending creativity with solid business sense. For them, it's a need to find that sweet spot where a brilliant idea also makes financial sense. When pitching your creative ideas, emphasize that you’re not just aiming for flashy visuals or catchy slogans. You’re looking to drive real results—whether that’s boosting brand loyalty, increasing engagement, or ultimately, enhancing the bottom line. Show clients that your creative vision is a strategic move designed to align with their business goals.

Overcoming Data Overload in Selling Creative Ideas

Data is fantastic—it helps us understand what’s working and what’s not. But when clients lean too heavily on data, creativity can take a backseat. They might start looking for ideas that fit neatly into spreadsheets, leaving little room for innovative thinking. To combat this, present data as a foundation for creativity, not a constraint. Use insights to highlight opportunities where a creative approach can make a significant impact. For example, if data shows a growing trend among a target audience, suggest a creative campaign that taps into that trend in a unique way the brand can own. This way, clients see that creativity and data can coexist and complement each other.

Balancing Creativity with Performance Metrics

Finding the right balance between creativity and performance is crucial. Clients want campaigns that not only look good but also deliver measurable results. When pitching, showcase how your creative ideas will achieve both. For instance, you might propose a visually striking ad campaign that creates curiosity. Then explain how that curiosity will drive web searches, which you'll win via a combination of smart and efficient SEO/SEM to drive that potential customer to the brand's website where that curiosity converts to consideration or purchase. By demonstrating that your ideas are full-funnel, and can fulfill both creative and performance goals, you make it easier for clients to get on board.

Safeguarding Your Creative Ideas

Once you’ve got a client interested in your idea, the next challenge is keeping it intact through the approval process. Multiple stakeholders can lead to endless revisions that dilute your original vision. To protect your creative idea, set clear boundaries from the start. Highlight the core elements that make your campaign unique and explain why they’re essential for success. Building strong relationships with key decision-makers, BEFORE you pitch breakthrough creative ideas, can also help shield your ideas from unnecessary changes. When clients trust your expertise, they’re more likely to support your creative vision without overcomplicating things.

Guarding the Vision: Limiting Stakeholder Input

Too many opinions almost always ruin a great idea. When too many people get involved in the creative process, it’s easy for the original concept to get muddled. To prevent this, streamline the approval process. Identify the key players who need to give the green light and insist they participate in the entire creative process, from strategic message development through concept presentation and finally, approving the final work. If any stakeholder lobbies for additional opinions to be heard, challenge them to justify how the new opinions add value. My personal favorite is: I can see how that would make the work different, but how would it make it better? That one usually stops them in their tracks. 😊

Transforming Data from Obstacle to Opportunity in Selling Creative Ideas

While too much focus on data can stifle creativity, using it smartly can actually enhance your pitches. Leverage data to backup your creative ideas with solid evidence. For instance, I once had a media team do a deep dive into the media consumption habits of the target audience. They didn't just tell the client which TV shows they watched, or radio stations they favored. They created a highlight reel of the television content, shared lyrics from the most popular songs, even highlighted the style of news delivery (local nighttime news) to create a narrative that this consumer lived in a high stress world filled with conflict and drama.

This research perfectly set up the creative approach where the creative director could link specific creative ideas, concepts, and approaches to the specific data-driven insights, making the idea not only imaginative but also strategically sound. This dual approach reassures clients that your ideas are both innovative and grounded in real-world data-driven metrics.

Building Strong Client Relationships to Sell Creative

At the end of the day, the relationship you build with your clients is everything. Trust and understanding go a long way in making clients comfortable with taking creative risks. Invest time in getting to know your clients’ businesses, their challenges, and what they truly care about both personally and from a corporate perspective. Regular communication and transparency help build this trust. When clients feel like you’re genuinely invested in their success, they’re more likely to support your creative ideas, even if they involve some level of risk. Remember, a strong relationship means clients see you as a partner, not just a service provider.

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Selling Creative Ideas is NEVER Easy

Selling creative ideas to risk-averse clients isn’t easy, but it’s definitely achievable. By understanding and appreciating your client's strategic role, balancing creativity with the need for performance, building processes to protect your ideas, managing stakeholder input, leveraging data effectively, and building strong client relationships, you can navigate the complexities of today’s marketing landscape.

Just remember, in a world where standing out is crucial, mastering the art of selling creative ideas is your key to making a lasting impact and creating long-term client loyalty. 

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This post was originally published on Painless Prospecting, the weekly sales and marketing blog created by the fine folks at Converse Digital. If you want to learn how to create, engage in, and convert conversations into new clients and customers, give them a call


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About the author

Tom is 30 year veteran of the sales & marketing industry with a penchant for stiff drinks, good debates and showing others how to combine the power of digital platforms and technology with the science of persuasion to turn conversations into customers.

He is the founder of Converse Digital, a former contributing writer for Advertising Age, and author of The Invisible Sale regarded by readers as a "must-read for any marketing and sales team."

The Invisible Sale has been described as: showing the reader how to rip down the communication barrier between sales and marketing teams in an easy-to-digest look at how both teams can work together to attract, measure, and close prospects in today's online landscape.

In the book, Tom breaks down his entire business development process, honed over a decade of practice, to create the ultimate field guide for anyone tasked with creating an effective business development program for themselves, their agency, or company.

And for those seeking to learn more about the art and science of persuasion, modern digitally oriented prospecting, effective lead nurturing without becoming a nuisance and closing more business deals, Tom has authored hundreds of articles available via his Painless Prospecting Newsletter Archives.

He is also a highly sought after sales & marketing keynote speaker who has graced stages in 52 cities, 27 states, and 7 countries spread across 4 continents.

He primarily speaking on topics of sales, business development, social selling, social media and the power of consumer experiences shared via social media as the ultimate form of advertising.

Tom's probably best known for his incredibly successful, groundbreaking social media campaign to rebrand Mardi Gras from "girls gone wild" to "family friendly fun" using nothing other than social media. That work led him to create his signature tourism marketing keynote -- The Soundtrack of our Life: Leveraging Visitor Experiences To Drive Visitation.

Too learn more about Tom's most requested talks, or check his availability, visit his professional speaker page.

You can also follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.


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