Last updated October, 2001

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BOO! Keep Appearing to Keep Sales!

Now is NOT the time for a disappearing act by your sales and marketing departments. When economic situations tighten, it's even more important to keep in front of your customers and prospective clients.

• Do a variety of things to keep in touch - call, e-mail, send notes, drop by (be courteous and conscientious of time).
• Keep your sales department motivated and applaud all sales and contacts.
• Refer new clients to others whenever possible. Helping others in the business world will help everyone.
• Network and build a group of other business professionals to talk over challenges and exchange leads.
• Meet with all clients on a one-to-one basis to review needs and express your appreciation for their past and future business.

Have a safe & happy Halloween from your friends at MCS!

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Jump Start Your Sales

Are your sales down and gaining steam in the wrong direction? Then now is the time to jump start your sales and turn things around.

Here are a few tips to help you rev up sales for your business:

1. Internet networking. Network with past, present and prospective customers every day. E-mail is the new networker's tool to keep in touch.

2. Become the solution. Think creatively and begin enticing prospective customers with solutions to some of their problems.

3. Be direct. When talking to your customers, ask for their business.

4. Are current customers unhappy? If so, initiate CCA - Crisis Control Apology (be sincere). Find the problem, take action, work fast and keep communication flowing. One unhappy customer tells many!

5. Deepen relationships with your customers. Keep connected by phone (combined with e-mails and face-to-face meetings). Remember, a balance is important. Getting additional business from existing customers is cost effective and efficient for both parties.

6. Ask for referrals. Create a testimonial or referral card that has client testimonials and ask your current customers if they know someone who could benefit from your help.

7. Keep your organization in the customer's eyes. Weave public relations, advertising, marketing and charitable giving into your marketing plan.

8. Send note cards or postcards to your clients and prospects with a hand-written message if possible.

9. Always try new ways to get leads, get the customers attention and communicate...just keep doing things that work!

10. Think positive and try a little harder!

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Marketing in a Downturn

Downturns are inevitable in any economy. The key for a successful business is to utilize the economic downturns to harness opportunities for upward mobility.

Four steps to get you through the downturn and combat negative markets:

1. Reality Check Stage
   
   • Prepare for possible shifts or downturns in the market...keep track of ideas.
     
   • Build contingency marketing plans.
     
   • Be prepared for economic changes and marketing opportunities; opportunities always exist.
     
   • Do frequent SWOT analyses. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
     
   • Promote your core business in all advertising, public relations and marketing.
     
   • Market your unique selling points. Make your company stand out (important in any economy)!
   
   
   
2. Take Charge Stage
   
   • Instead of panicking and starting to cut marketing or public relations programs, work to create more effective call-to-action campaigns.
     
   • Market a beneficial quality or core department of your company.
     
   • Consider buying advertising that builds your core business.
     
   • Keep in front of clients and associates. Push sales hard.
     
   • Be positive and use positive wording in copy.
   
   
   
3. Hope on the Horizon Stage (after a recession or downturn)
   
   • Expand marketing/public relations programs.
     
   • Review market changes or shifts in markets and client buying.
     
   • Be prepared to move upward quickly.
     
   • Bolster effective marketing programs.
     
   • Expand advertising and promotions when opportunities arise.
   
   
   
4. Review "Stage One"
   
   • Always be prepared.

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Here's an idea to help keep your business growing...

Information at Your Fingertips - Database Marketing
Marketing rule #1: Know your customer - it is essential in building and maintaining a successful business. An integral part of learning more about your customers and recognizing trends is to keep a solid computer database.

A Successful Database Marketing Tip

• Each name represents a need and potential sales. Keep a company customer and prospect list.
• Keep contact information, purchases, customer interests, needs, birthdays, occupations, families, dreams, and their perception of you and your competitors on databases.
• Maintain clean, up-to-date data. The moment you learn something new about a customer or prospect, enter the information into your database.
• Study your database. You can learn the traits and characteristics your customers have in common (such as magazine subscriptions.)

The goal: Determine what your customers want and provide it to them.

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Sales Savvy

What does a prospective customer want? Not every customer wants to sit through a 40-minute multimedia presentation, regardless of how much information it provides. Some customers are more comfortable with a face-to-face conversation about your product or service and what it can do for them.

Customer feedback is important! You've got to provide customers with opportunities for participation and feedback. Try to make sure you are reaching them the way they want you to explain things. We all understand in different ways. Ask questions? Find out what the prospective customer really wants.

Keep everything in moderation. My father always said, "Everything in Moderation." You can have too much of a good thing, even technology. Lights, colors, graphics, animation, voice-overs, and other elements of a multimedia presentation can help make your point, but, they can also be distracting, making the sale more difficult. Avoid overloading your customer with too much.

Abandon the script. Customers appreciate flexibility and like your thoughtfulness when they have little time and lots to do. When their eyes glaze over, it's time to cut back on your material. Most automated presentations allow you to skip quickly to relevant material or just talk to the customer and find out their needs.