When my partners and I set out to sell our financial tool, Mellifex—an uncustodial escrow solution for high-value crypto transactions—we knew we were facing a tough market. Selling something truly innovative isn’t easy, especially when your target audience may not fully grasp just how transformative the product can be. Financial solutions, by their nature, come with long decision-making processes, extensive risk assessments, and a significant amount of skepticism. In markets that are traditionally unserved by such solutions—where Mellifex fits perfectly and where customers tend to be cautious—you need a structured approach to help navigate these complexities.

Selling a tool that we believe can revolutionize financial management for any forward-thinking trading or commodity company required us to rethink our strategy. We had to step outside of our assumptions, explore every potential angle, and carefully refine our pitch. At the end of the day, our value proposition is straightforward: we’re saving companies 5-6% in transactional costs—an amount that can easily reach hundreds of millions of dollars. But with such high stakes, we need to be innovative in how we communicate this value. And that’s where Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats model became invaluable for us.
How We Do It: Brainstorming Ideas in a Tough Sales Environment
When you’re dealing with a complex sale—especially one where the product is intricate and the decision-makers are conservative—you can’t afford to take a one-size-fits-all approach. We quickly realized that pitching the technical features alone wasn’t enough. We needed to understand the mindset of our prospects, explore potential objections, and anticipate their emotional responses.
We start each brainstorming session with an open mind and plenty of ideas on the table. From the beginning, we embrace the fact that not every idea will be perfect, but every idea deserves a moment of consideration. In these moments of creative tension, the Six Thinking Hats process becomes our go-to framework. It allows us to analyze our approach from every angle, systematically addressing facts, emotions, risks, opportunities, creative solutions, and overall process management.
How We Know What Ideas Could Work: Applying the Six Thinking Hats
The real breakthrough in our sales strategy happens when we apply the Six Thinking Hats approach. It transforms our brainstorming sessions from scattered thoughts into focused and actionable strategies. Here’s how we use each hat to refine our approach and tailor our pitch.
White Hat: Focusing on the Facts We begin by laying out the facts. What is the current state of the market? What pain points do our potential customers face? We gather and analyze data about industry trends, our competitors, and financial challenges that our prospects deal with. This fact-driven approach helps us avoid assumptions and ensures that our pitch is rooted in reality, giving us a strong foundation for the next steps.
Red Hat: Tuning into Emotions Every sale has an emotional side, even if the product is highly technical. We use the red hat to think about how our prospects might feel about our tool. Will they be excited by its innovation or wary of the change it represents? Are they anxious about potential implementation challenges? By considering the emotional responses of our audience, we can craft a narrative that addresses their feelings head-on, making them feel understood and comfortable.
Black Hat: Anticipating Objections This is where we dig deep into potential pitfalls. What could go wrong in the prospect’s eyes? With the black hat, we play devil’s advocate, identifying every reason why someone might reject our financial tool—whether it’s cost concerns, integration difficulties, or perceived risk. This critical thinking allows us to prepare answers to tough questions and anticipate the objections that could derail the sale.
Yellow Hat: Highlighting the Opportunities Optimism is crucial in a challenging sale. The yellow hat shifts our focus to the positives: What opportunities does our tool unlock for prospects? Will it save them money, streamline operations, or give them a competitive edge? Here, we explore the benefits of our solution, thinking creatively about how it can add value in unexpected ways. By focusing on the upside, we ensure that our pitch isn’t just defensive, but proactive and exciting.
Green Hat: Unleashing Creativity We’ve learned that creativity often solves problems that logic can’t. With the green hat on, we open the floor to unconventional ideas. Can we position the tool differently? Is there an overlooked market segment we haven’t yet considered? We use this hat to brainstorm alternative sales strategies, creative pricing models, or unique partnerships. This step is all about innovation—finding those ideas that surprise even us and could be game-changers in our approach.
Blue Hat: Controlling the Process Finally, the blue hat helps us manage our overall strategy. This is where we step back and look at the big picture. Have we covered all the hats? Are we progressing toward a clear action plan? The blue hat ensures that we stay organized, on track, and results-oriented. It’s the hat that makes sure all of our thinking isn’t just theoretical but leads to practical outcomes.
Wrapping Up: Tips for Selling in Complex Market Conditions
Securing an exit, selling a company, or marketing a high-value solution in a complex environment isn’t for the faint of heart. However, by applying structured thinking, we’ve managed to shift from feeling overwhelmed to being in control. Here are a few tips we’ve learned along the way that can help anyone navigating similar high-stakes situations:
Anticipate objections early: You don’t need to wait for a prospect or investor to raise concerns. By applying the black hat, we’ve prepared for potential challenges ahead of time, turning these objections into opportunities to demonstrate the strength and value of the offer. This proactive mindset enables us to stay one step ahead.
Connect with emotions: Even in rational markets like finance, or when dealing with the sale of a company, emotions are a key factor. If decision-makers feel insecure about moving forward with an acquisition or sale, they’ll likely hesitate. It’s essential to address these emotional concerns with empathy and confidence, ensuring that stakeholders feel supported throughout the process.
Don’t rush creativity: The green hat has shown us that creativity doesn’t happen instantly. You need to give yourself and your team the time to explore unconventional solutions. Often, the best ideas for positioning a company, solution, or product emerge after allowing space for creative brainstorming—leading to breakthroughs that standard approaches might miss.
Stay grounded in facts: While creativity is vital, facts build trust. The white hat ensures we stay rooted in reality by focusing on data. Whether it’s sales figures, market trends, or value projections, providing accurate, relevant information reinforces credibility. Prospects and investors need to know that you understand the market and have solid proof backing your claims.
Keep the process in check: The blue hat is essential for maintaining focus and managing the overall process. Selling high-value solutions or a company takes time and sustained effort. Without structure, it’s easy to lose track of key steps. Regularly reviewing and refining the process ensures that you stay on course, continuously improving as you move toward your goal.
Ultimately, applying the Six Thinking Hats has allowed us to create a comprehensive, multi-dimensional strategy that encompasses all aspects—factual, emotional, creative, and logical. This structured approach has transformed the way we tackle complex sales and exit opportunities, giving us the confidence to approach even the toughest prospects or investors with a solid plan in hand.
The Importance of Creative Models and Strategies
In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive markets, creativity is often the difference between success and failure. Using structured models like De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats encourages the kind of strategic thinking that can unlock new opportunities, navigate complex negotiations, and position high-value solutions in ways that resonate with decision-makers. Without such creative frameworks, you risk falling into conventional patterns that may not reflect the full potential of what you're selling.
In the end, applying creative models helps to ensure that all perspectives are considered, objections are anticipated, and innovative solutions are found, leading to a smoother, more successful sale or exit.
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