No matter what you�re selling, when it comes to increasing your customer base, creativity is the key to grabbing a prospect�s attention. How can you foster a more creative outlook in your daily life? Here are three easy ways to get started.
No matter what you�re selling, when it comes to increasing your customer base, creativity is the key to grabbing a prospect�s attention. But unfortunately, creativity isn�t a switch that you can flip on when needed. How can you foster a more creative outlook in your daily life? Try these three easy ways to get started:

Gather some inspirational tools. Look through your own daily mail, trade magazines and other business resources to develop what�s known in the advertising trade as a �swipe file.� Set up a folder and toss into it anything that catches your eye. It may be your competitor�s latest coupon, a clever newspaper layout, a dynamic color combination or an interesting brochure fold that made you itch to open it. When you�re ready to start a project, you now have a built-in library for creative inspiration.

Take a new approach. Drive the same

Stay up on current trends. The easiest way to grab a quick trend snapshot is to head down to your local book superstore and browse through the magazine racks. Keep an eye out for recurring themes or common cover subjects across different categories. Also, note any new categories or those suddenly populated with new titles.

Creativity can be defined quite simply as keeping your eyes, ears and mind open to inspiration. Keep a small notebook or recorder handy � you never know when that next big idea will strike!

About the Author

A copywriter by trade, Lisa Fahoury helps businesses make the most of their marketing dollars. Her firm, New Jersey-based Fahoury Ink, provides creative copywriting, design & marketing services.