Brian Taylor
|
When times are tough...
We hear so often in sales about separating ourselves from the pack ... finding a way to be different ... of bringing the customer more value.
Unfortunately, when the economy hits a rut as it does from time to time, too often many of us run for cover and take actions that are just the opposite of what we should do. We pull in our tentacles and watch the news and start believing the media frenzy.
In our business (publishing), we feel the pinch because advertisers’ first reaction to a slow economy is to cut their advertising, when that is the last thing they should do. Slow times are not when you make changes and scream to the marketplace (and competitors) that business is tough. Rather, it presents a great opportunity for companies and salespeople in general to strengthen their hold on their customers, and to gain new ones. If salespeople are cutting back on their personal selling efforts because of the cost of gas, what better time to show up at your competitors’ accounts with a smile on your face and a new product in hand?
If other advertisers are dropping out, what better time to make your message stand out like never before? What a great time to let trading partners know that you are there in good times and bad to support them in their efforts with your mutual customers.
In this information age, we see added electronic tools that enable sales reps to get better at what they do and to share those experiences with their peers. I have been following industry happenings on Web sites such as Dental Sales Pro (www.dentalsalespro.com) and The Dental Insider Blog (http://dentalinsider.wordpress.com), to name just two. There is a lot of interaction taking place on sites like these between trading partners, and I have benefitted directly from these sites by participating in the forums found there to gather story ideas for articles in First Impressions. It is just another resource that reps are using. The growth in the number of people on these sites is evidence that they are here to stay and serve a useful purpose.
So while the economy works itself through some difficult times, it remains a personal issue to choose your own path. Do you join the hand-wringing, doom-saying crowd and blame the president, oil companies, and the wealthy for the troubled times ... or do you jump in with the philosophy of one company president who said, “ I have read that we are in a recession; we have just chosen not to participate!”
The choice is up to you. Good selling!
Brian Taylor
Publisher
|
|
|
