In times of plenty you can probably sell anything to anyone – look at Gary Dahl who became a millionaire by selling pet rocks in the 1970s! His imaginative idea of selling rocks in the same way you would a live pet was a short-lived but fabulous demonstration of creativity. As competition gets stiffer and people are less willing to spend we need to rely on differentiating our products, marketing and sales techniques. Think of successful entrepreneurs in recent times – Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson etc – they have all been imaginative but what differentiates them is the fact that they’ve brought their imagination to life. Ideas and action – now THAT is creativity.
