I was just clearing up my emails and came across a newsletter from our accountants. The newsletter had an item in it by Nichalas Bates author of  “How to beat the recession”.

Now that we seem to be emerging from the worst of it, there are still some useful points to take on board from here. Most are common sense, but they are usually the ones we need reminding of!

1. Get back in your “war room” and review your “beat the recession” plans. If you don’t have any, see point 2.

2. Set a new plan for the next 12 months of continuing tough times.

3. Having made it this far you must be doing plenty right.

4. The key is to know what that is: Where are you making profit? Where are your sales growing?

5. It is unusual during a recession for consumers to stop spending all together, whether it’s wine, consultancy or heating systems. You need to target them.

6. As the economy improves, there will be a huge amount of spending, which didn’t happen during the recession. Stay in touch with your customers and remind them of your products or services.

7. Sell the benefits, the value. The logic of buying your product or service may seem obvious to you, but then you work with it every day. Explain it well to someone new and reluctant to spend money.

8. Sell what is special about your solution compared to the competition.

9. Sell urgency – why do they need to buy now?

10. Run mini-workshops for the team on handling objections, doing cold calling or writing proposals (quotations)

11. Think 1% improvement. If you improved your business by just 1% each month, over time, the improvements would be huge.

12. Keep the team informed. Don’t leave them in a state of anxiety.

13. Work in your business: answer calls, have a tidy reception.

14. Work on your business: improve, invest, inspire…

15. Make sure there is time for fun, whether its a pizza or the cinema.

16. Encourage people to go home on time.

17. Celebrate all success.

18. Understand why business is lost and learn the lessons.

19. Know your competition, but don’t copy them. Do it better.

20. Book the “war room” session, today!

Marketing General