Sales & Marketing: Survive Today's Economy By Doing Both Right, Right Now

Bus sides. Shopping bags. Keychains. Radio shows. Cold calls. The list is endless that represents all that can be done to promote a business. Here's another list: frowning; looking disheveled; ill-preparedness; saying "no" to Girl Scouts. These can DEMOTE a business.

Father of Guerrilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson, describes this best: "Marketing is everything you do to promote your business, from the moment you conceive of it, to the point at which customers buy your product or service and begin to patronize your business on a regular basis. The key words to remember are everything and regular basis."

And, yes, this includes that dirty work car. Business owners are constantly marketing, good or bad. The result of this is a sale, or not.

The best marketing gurus will say that marketing drives sales; the best sales gurus will say that sales drives marketing. In truth, they fight for the driver's seat.

Successful business owners have at least five positive sales and marketing activities going at once. Think hard, as these activities are not always apparent.

Consider any construction company. They run newspaper ads, sponsor Chamber events, hobnob with realtors, give out pens, and drive logo-sporting trucks. What if those newspaper ads have a misspelled or confusing message? Are the Chamber sponsored events at a poorly constructed location? How are the chosen realtors perceived? Do the pens run out of ink quickly? Are the trucks often dirty?

All these efforts gone wrong can grind sales to a halt.

Consider the flip side. In today's economy, hitting the streets or picking up the phone to ask for the sale is more important than ever. This construction company is making at least 40 cold calls per week. Sounds great, but what if the person making the calls is a fast-talking drip with no closing skills? A positive just turned negative. The company would be better off doing nothing.

Negative sales efforts can render marketing dollars completely ineffective.

History shows that a recession can be the most auspicious time to invest in a brand. Some of the most successful brand campaigns in the past six decades began during economically challenged years. Perhaps now is the perfect time to up the ante on sales and marketing the right way. Here's the best "kick-in-the-pants" advice for upping the ante now, when competitors are likely doing the opposite:

Marketing "Kick In The Pants"

Know exactly what your brand positioning is and how it needs to be perceived in order to stand out from competitors. Live the "80/20 Rule" by defining the 20% customer base that brings in 80% of sales. Set realistic goals. Then develop a workable plan to achieve them through the right strategies, the right systems, and the right mindset to ensure success.

Sales "Kick In The Pants"

Become a master at prospecting, organizing, and closing the sale. Sure, you may be nervous. But you're not alone. According to Levinson, both seller and buyer are nervous. "As the seller you are worried about being rejected," he says. "The buyer is worried about making the wrong decision." Studies have shown that the buyer's heart rate actually increases up to 20% immediately prior to and following a "yes." They don't want to make a mistake and look foolish for getting "suckered" into something that was a bad purchase decision. Your job is to believe in what you're selling, overcome any concerns your prospects may have, and feel comfortable and confident asking for the sale.

Don't wait for the economy to recover, only to return to competing with the pack. Take advantage of this downturn by doing the opposite of your competition. Market and sell to increase your share now. You can only reap bigger benefits by running at the head of the pack when the economy flies north again.

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