Like all distributors, Cliff Quicksell wanted to increase his sales. That meant landing new clients, which meant generating more appointments, which meant he had to get the attention of the prospects he targeted. So he constructed a bulky mailer that said “Pencil me in.” It included a pencil (of course) and a custom-printed day planner page with Quicksell’s name and information, and the time he would be calling. He sent out over 7,000 of the promos – and generated a 70% appointment rate.

Quicksell featured a dozen creative examples like this in his packed ASI Show Chicago session, “Self-Promotion Campaigns That Wow, Engage and Get Results.” There was a package that featured a gavel and a message asking for a 15-minute meeting so prospects could “Judge for Yourself.” There was also the stuffed bear in a cast (Quicksell did the wrapping himself) that served as a referral generator for a pediatric medical practice. And, not to be forgotten, there was the cooler with a tub of ice cream and 10 bowls that Quicksell left at businesses as “The Ultimate Cold Call.” All of them generated massive response rates and led to significant new business.

“My job is to open the door,” said Quicksell, a consultant for iPROMOTEu (asi/232119) and owner of Cliff Quicksell & Associates. “I want to get in. And I want to do it quicker, faster and smarter than my competition.”

Quicksell urged his audience to “be remarkable” and get creative to stand out in an increasingly crowded field. He admitted that even his ideas have to be reeled in after going too far, but those are the necessary steps of creative thinking. Others, by contrast, avoid taking risks for fear of looking stupid. “You’re only limited by your imagination. Don’t get stuck,” said Quicksell, who suggested writing down creative ideas in a journal to preserve them.

Quicksell added that 75% of a buying decision is made before the prospect even speaks to a distributor. Not only does that make a modern website and up-to-date social media communication crucial, it also pushes distributors to use creative self-promos to pump up their worth. Don’t take your creativity for granted and value your time, and you can charge a premium for your services. “Start believing in yourself. Start believing in your value,” Quicksell said. “Bring more to the table than just product sales.”