As I wrapped up the spring semester with my MBA students, I challenged them to look at growth within their companies through a different lens. Most people expect growth will come from a breakthrough product development or transformational idea. That would be nice, but in the day-to-day business world, innovation can be a much simpler and more attainable concept.
That made me think about how the word “innovation” relates to salespeople and their role in driving revenue growth. In my experience, salespeople rarely think of themselves as innovative. They leave that to the R&D team. But in the sales world, innovation doesn’t have to be radical. It can be incremental. It’s a shift in how we approach conversations, processes, and relationships. Sometimes, a small tweak in execution is the thing that drives a big improvement in results.
So, what does innovation look like from the front lines of selling? Here are five places sales teams can make creative moves that actually move the needle.
1. Modernize the Sales Process
You don’t need to wait for your next sales transformation to update your approach. Too often, sales leaders stick with outdated processes simply because they were implemented by the last person in charge—or because “we’ve always done it this way.” Over time, those processes lose relevance and effectiveness.
Instead of waiting for a complete redesign, look for small updates that reflect how customers buy today. Are you setting the right expectations in your sales conversations? Are you asking questions that reflect the needs of other similar buyers? Little updates can re-energize your sales motion and yield big returns.
2. Recommit to your Sales Tech
Most sales orgs are sitting on a pile of underused tools. CRMs, engagement platforms, and call intelligence software are often only being used at surface level. That’s not a tech problem, it’s usually just a lack of time and focus to set the tools up right.
The real opportunity is to audit the tools you already have and ask: Are we using this in a way that supports our actual sales motion? Are there unused features that could help us serve customers faster or collaborate more efficiently?
Innovation here isn’t about buying another shiny platform. It’s about deeper adoption of what you already own, and aligning it more closely with the rhythms of your team.
3. Connect Incentives to Behaviors, Not Just Results
Most incentive plans are outcome-driven: hit your number, win a trip. Make President’s Club. But innovative sales teams are redesigning compensation around behavior, the small actions that will lead to sales success.
This might mean rewarding quality discovery calls, or sharing strategic insights from customer conversations, or proactively driving internal collaboration. It might also mean tying compensation to customer satisfaction. This approach gives everyone the chance to participate, and a chance to see the impact of their new behaviors.
4. Get Creative with Communication
How you communicate can be just as innovative as what you sell. One outside rep told me he created a personal newsletter just for his customers. No mandate from marketing. Just a way to stay visible and relevant.
Others are using personalized videos, curated content, or 1:1 voice memos. It’s not about being flashy, it’s about adding value in ways that feel human and helpful. Innovation can be as simple as choosing a new channel, format, or tone.
5. Price with Confidence (and Creativity)
One of the most overlooked areas for innovation that can drive revenue growth is pricing. I recently connected with Casey Brown, a pricing strategist and author of Fearless Selling. One of her key teachings is that salespeople often undervalue themselves—and in doing so, commoditize their offering.
Innovative pricing isn’t about charging more just because you feel like it. It’s about deeply understanding your value, articulating it clearly, and being confident enough to stand behind it. This can be as simple as resisting the urge to use your lowest-price offer or pricing tier, even if you have the flexibility to do so. Don’t assume that customers respect you because you lower your price for them.
Innovation Is Execution with Curiosity
Innovation in sales isn’t about waiting for a product update. It’s about seeing every interaction, process, and tool as a place to add new energy, insight, or creativity.
When sales teams stop thinking of innovation as something that happens to them, and start thinking of it as something they create, new opportunities for growth emerge. Encourage your salespeople to be curious and see what new ideas emerge. Maybe you could even offer a small incentive for them to try!
