The 3 "P" Approach to More Creative Marketing

When was the last time you looked at something differently?

I was in San Francisco June 7-10 for the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Conference, and had the pleasure of hearing Sam Harrison of Zing Zone speak on creative marketing and its three components: Passion, Performance and Pitch.

His talk was well worth my time because it provided some really great inspirational ideas on how to be more creative at doing what I do. It also lit a fire under me to “think” differently – not out-of-the-box thinking, but looking at something in another light or perhaps from the inside out.

An example. I am a New York Times crossword puzzle fanatic. Most everyone works the puzzle from Clue 1 Across, then proceeds to work his or her way down. What I took away from Sam’s talk was to begin with the last clue, first, then work my way up to the top of the puzzle.

I know what you’re thinking – so what?

Try it. Look at something in a new way or try something new. Using his 3 “P” approach, see how you can come up with your own path:

Passion. Think back to the time when you were really passionate about your profession. What motivated you to become an accountant and how can you bring that passion to your clients?
Performance. Learn how to perform more creatively for bigger and better clients. The more you’re creative, the better you’ll be at attracting prospects and turning those prospects into clients.
Pitch. The next time you’re with a client, think about how you can provide some kind of service that is unique. Not only will you be inspired by coming up with something other than the norm; chances are you can cross-sell the heck out of other services in your firm.

Inspire yourself and others with this approach. It works.