When it comes to standing out in a crowded market, few people understand the power of creativity in sales quite like Corey Lilburn. A senior consultant and shareholder at Acrisure, a $35B global insurance and fintech firm, Corey has spent his career mastering the timing, psychology, and nuance of complex sales. From selling Cutco knives in his early days to advising enterprise clients on multi-million-dollar deals, he’s built a reputation for turning relationships into long-term business growth.
In a recent Beyond A Million podcast episode with Brad Weimert, Corey shared how a few bold, unconventional moves have helped him win clients and deepen relationships that last. His philosophy is simple: the best salespeople don’t just pitch. They perform, they connect, and they surprise.
If you want to go deeper into Corey’s story and hear more of his insights, check out his full episode on the Beyond A Million podcast.
Creative Sales Tactic #1: Make Renewals a “Non-Event”
Most salespeople live for the chase, the big close. But for Corey, the real magic happens long after that first deal. “I think that the renewal needs to be made a non event… This is a never-ending cycle… If you focus on selling the renewal, then you’re considering losing that client.”
Instead of scrambling at the end of a contract term, Corey builds consistent, ongoing touchpoints throughout the relationship. He stays close, keeps the dialogue open, and never makes clients feel like they’re being “re-sold.” The result? When renewal time rolls around, it’s not even a question. It’s just the next step in a continuous relationship.
This mindset flips the traditional sales cycle on its head. Instead of hunting for new business to replace what’s lost, Corey turns every renewal into an easy “yes” because the trust is already there.
Creative Sales Tactic #2: Turn Referrals into Internal Influencers
One of Corey’s best-known stories proves that the boldest moves often start with the smallest insights. He recalls being referred into a major organization, but not to the right decision-maker. “I think it’s mining. I think it’s working through what’s the value of the person that I was referred to… The Director of Food and Bev is not a decision maker in the world of who’s going to buy the employee benefit package. But as I talked to this dude, I found out that the HR director was a big fan of Frank Sinatra.”
Corey’s team knew they had to do something different to stand out. “We had to submit RFPs that were all the same… everybody’s going to look exactly the same in that scenario… And so, in talking to Food and Bev, I find this little nugget of information. I’m sitting around my team, and we’re talking about, how do we look different here? And one of the guys on the team says, ‘singing telegram.’”
So, Corey ran with it. “Hired a guy, did a deal in a parking lot, handed him my RFPs, looked at him with his tilted Frank Sinatra hat, the disheveled tie, and said, ‘put your little ditty together.’ And he literally sang a song about my agency as he presented it to the director of HR. I got a call later that day, and she said, ‘I can’t give you the business for that, but you’re now a finalist, because that was totally different.’”
It worked. Corey turned a random contact into an internal influencer — someone who helped him orchestrate the show, build buzz inside the organization, and ultimately accelerate the sales cycle. “Whoever you’re getting referred into is somebody that could potentially be an influencer… that cycle shortened because of that.”
In other words, don’t underestimate the power of a non-decision-maker. With a little curiosity — and a touch of Frank Sinatra — they might just open the right door.
Creative Sales Tactic #3: Build Relationships with Strategic Gifting
Corey also credits much of his success to a mindset he picked up from John Ruhlin’s Giftology philosophy, the idea that thoughtful giving creates lasting business impact. “Giftology was such a simple concept… just taking care of those around you, and then business can afford, relationships can afford.”
He believes the key is to look beyond the client and focus on the people around them — their spouse, their team, their inner circle. The goal isn’t to buy attention, but to show genuine care and creativity in how you connect. Corey points out that these gestures often strengthen the network of relationships that influence buying decisions more than a thousand cold emails ever could.
Why Creative Sales Tactics Work
At its core, what Corey Lilburn teaches is that sales is about people, not pitches. Whether it’s turning a referral into a partner, transforming a renewal into a formality, or gifting in a way that strengthens human connections. These creative sales tactics work because they’re personal, memorable, and bold.
Corey’s success isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about intention. He listens, he looks for small openings others overlook, and he injects humanity into the process. That’s the kind of creativity that doesn’t just win deals, it builds empires.
Want more insights like these?
👉 Listen to Corey Lilburn’s full episode on the Beyond A Million podcast for more creative sales tactics and stories from entrepreneurs scaling to eight, nine, and even ten figures.
