Container Top
Homes   Jobs   Cars   Shopping
Search

Events Calendar

EVENT SEARCH:

In This Section


Most Read Stories


Blogs:


Pets:
It Takes All Kinds

The Heldenfiles:
Tuesday Notebook

Patrick McManamon:
An interesting thought from a reader

Akron Zips:
Akron vs. Mount Union — Liveblog

Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates

Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback

Kent State Sports:
Flashes interested in another Cincinnati player

Cleveland Cavaliers:
Cavs: Yeah, on That Issue of Privacy

Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes Roll 100-60 / Season Outlook

Varsity Letters:
Report: Walsh baseball player commits

All Da King's Men:
More On The Fort Hood Jihadist

Blog of Mass Destruction:
Simply Incapable of Telling The Truth

Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (63) Commonwealth Fund Report on Primary Care

See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler

Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks

Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing

Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.

Sound Check:
Aeromsith looking for new singer as Steven Tyler contemplates solo career

HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio

Akron Gamer:
Video: 'Modern Warfare 2' hits the streets

Uplifting attitude aids marketing, makes sales

Offer clients products and services that can boost efficiency, cut expenses, deliver value

By Anup Gupta
Special to the Beacon Journal

The media and naysayers constantly underscore today's tough economic times. As an optimist, however, I always look at the brighter side of issues.

Being in the business of helping clients with their marketing, I am regularly asked, ''How should a business owner approach marketing in this downturn?''

Here are some suggestions:

Market consistently.

The renowned management guru and author of In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters, says, ''Now is the time to turn up the heat, not down.'' There is a lot of truth to that advice. Depending on your marketing budget, now is not the time to cut back on marketing and sales efforts.

Keeping your name and face in front of clients and prospects in good and bad times will ultimately pay dividends.

Differentiate your business from the competition. Offer solid reasons why yours is the company with which to do business.

Be results oriented.

When times are tough and your clients are experiencing declining revenues and profits, it is only natural they are being careful with spending. Offer solutions that can be substantiated and add to the bottom line.

How? Offer products and services that help cut costs and increase efficiency, saving time and money. Enhance brand awareness to increase business. Apply the creative juices to come up with various ways to deliver value.

Keep in touch with existing customers.

''I don't want to hear someone beat us to the marketplace because we didn't get out of the building,'' said Frank Hauk, EMC Corp. executive.

Visit clients regularly. Let them know how much you


appreciate their business. Find out ways you could be of more assistance. Add value, whether it is by better service, creative financing, warehousing, improved packaging, etc.

Strengthen and a create a long-term, mutually advantageous business relationship.

Think positively.

Norman Vincent Peale inspired generations with his Power of Positive Thinking best-seller. This is a powerful motivator — maybe the most important characteristic of all — to meet today's economic challenges.

If you buy into negativity, clients can sense it and delay or eliminate purchases.

Change your mind-set. Instill confidence, not concern. Your demeanor should be uplifting. It is vital to consummating sales in today's market.


Anup Gupta is affiliated with the Akron chapter of SCORE. If you would like more information on this or other business-related subjects, contact Akron SCORE via the Internet at http://akronscore.org or by calling 330-379-3163. Services are free and confidential. SCORE is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The media and naysayers constantly underscore today's tough economic times. As an optimist, however, I always look at the brighter side of issues.

Get the full article here.


Story tools

Email  Email   Print  Print   Save  Save   Reprint  Reprint   Popular  Most Popular   Reprint  Subscribe

Share this story

AddThis Social Bookmark Button
















Most Commented Stories