The debate is on whether we actually are in or still
approaching a recessionary period. If you have been paying
attention to the newspapers and television news, then you
know that our economy is in a tailspin. The media-painted
news is bleak as each new day reveals an additional
economic issue. It seems that both consumer confidence and
spending are down, mortgage foreclosures are up, savings
are down, the unemployment rate is up and consumer prices
of just about everything are rising. What is there to do
when you are a salesperson needing to make a living in such
a mess?
Downward trends are indeed a stressful time posing numerous
challenges, yet they do indeed present many opportunities.
You might ask a certain real estate agent how his business
is; he responds saying it is the worst market he has seen
in years and does not know what to do. Ask another and she
might tell you that she is excited and it is the best
market opportunity that she has seen in years. It is truly
a matter for one's perspective. For those clients who are
financially able, now is an outstanding time to acquire
property at a huge discount. She chooses to focus on those
clients looking for bargains. The other agent already gave
up, saying "woe is me."
I am not at all suggesting that the current economic
scenario is that simple to overcome in all markets. There
is no single answer to all these complex issues, yet there
is a single superb approach. The keys here are "current
scenario" and "downward trends." There will always be hills
and valleys in every economic cycle. The tide will
certainly turn at some point and a general wellspring of
opportunity will spread over the marketplace. But for now,
we must adapt to the current conditions.
What can you do now to help ensure your income stability
and peace of mind?
1 Re-train. Become the local expert in your field. Learn
more about the other products you have in your arsenal.
2. Study new markets that provide somewhat consistent
opportunities for growth such as food production,
pharmaceuticals, hospitals, utilities, laboratories, safety
and ergonomics, etc...
3. Make more of an effort to brand yourself. Establish
yourself as a valued expert. Focus and specialize.
4. Market yourself: Publish a blog, provide a regular
newsletter, write articles, and utilize email marketing to
better stay in touch with clients.
5. Believe in yourself and the unique value that you bring
to the selling table.
Forget about being a generalist and become a specialist.
Focus on one particularly profitable niche in your industry
and become the "go-to" person in your marketplace. We all
have a unique product line or service that offers greater
value and superior profit margins. Learn all you can about
them. Establish your expertise and publicize it well. Get
the word out. Be confident of the value that you offer.
I recently utilized this strategy at a local Tier 1
automotive supplier by seizing an opportunity to help them
with a unique problem. They were impressed by my response
and ability to remedy their situation. I asked about
similar areas of their plant and the opportunity to address
their issues before they became problems. They liked my
pro-active approach and allowed me to proceed. That success
soon generated others. In fact, their plant manager sent me
an email this past week asking me to meet with him to
discuss multiple opportunities for our products and
services in their plant.
That company has quickly become a major account. I have
been successfully designated their "go-to guy." We have
demonstrated our capabilities and proven our ability and
expertise. Interestingly, I started working with this
account a mere six months ago. I have a goal to develop
five more similar accounts over the next six months. Each
one is already identified and a strategy has been
implemented.
There are great opportunities; plenty of them, regardless
of the state of the economy. Do not give in to the
negativity presented by the media. Focus on your core
strengths and decide which clients need your expertise.
Select prospective companies that are in a strong financial
position to weather this downturn and get busy. Be
assertive. Become their "go-to" person and don't ever look
back.
----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both Learning For Profit and
Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive
experience in sales, training, marketing and personal
development spanning a successful 25 year sales career.
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com
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