The economy is having considerable changes to the overall landscape of American businesses. We are witnessing a significant drop in the stock market, endured corporate scandal thanks to entities such as Worldcom, Enron and Arthur Andersen. Business and personal bankruptcies are at an all-time high, banks are closing their doors and home foreclosures across American are breaking records. We are scratching our heads and asking what is happening to our economy.
Layoffs are commonplace while hiring and spending freezes are in place seemingly everywhere. The terrorist attacks in 2001 have contributed to a feeling of anxiety throughout our society. All of these events have a direct impact on our mindset, as well as those of our customers. We have seen a blanket of conservative behavior cover our country without regard to geography or industry. Our customers are simply more wary to make decisions quickly than they have in the past. Many report that doing nothing is "good enough" for now.
Yes, we are pretty much powerless to change the situations, however we are in definite control of how we respond and react to the dilimeas. As business sales professionals, we have some hurdles that we need to overcome and rethink some of our skills to continue to rise to the top. Our knowledge and experience is priceless and we need to use these skills to our advantage.
Remember, success always awaits us. We need to trust and believe in ourselves and our surroundings and we will prosper. Yes, there will be struggles and challenges but with the right mindset we can overcome them. Customers are changing their beliefs and priorities but we can mold ourselves and be flexible with their wants and needs. We can control the way we do business. Below are a few examples of how we can grasp success for the long term:
We have to possibly work harder than we have in the past. Our goal is to keep that pipleline as full as possible through increased and consistent prospecting. This will keep our income stream steady and protected. With the new "do not call" rules, we just have to be more creative about how we go about cold-calling. Especially in sales, setting appointments is crucial. It might require making many more calls than we did in the past to maintain the same return on investment.
We already know that the postcard prospecting system can be productive. We may need to improve our frequency and volume. Additionally, using the IBS in email format can get to potential sponsors quicker and for less cost. There are numerous ways to obtain the addresses, usually by visiting company or industry websites, as well as current print advertising sources. Be sure your subject line has strength to avoid being deleted before the message is opened. You can reach hundreds of prospects in a short period of time. The result is usually an appointment, and in my experience, I have found that our closing ratio improves on an appointment versus a cold call. We need a mixture to keep energized and productively busy all day.
Now more than ever the customer is not making quick decisions. Their thought process has been extended. Creating significance in the customer's mind is vitally important.
The business world is concerned with economic challenges and constantly changing rules. There is only one question we need to ask ourselves in reference to our roles: Is "good enough" really good enough? - 31821
Layoffs are commonplace while hiring and spending freezes are in place seemingly everywhere. The terrorist attacks in 2001 have contributed to a feeling of anxiety throughout our society. All of these events have a direct impact on our mindset, as well as those of our customers. We have seen a blanket of conservative behavior cover our country without regard to geography or industry. Our customers are simply more wary to make decisions quickly than they have in the past. Many report that doing nothing is "good enough" for now.
Yes, we are pretty much powerless to change the situations, however we are in definite control of how we respond and react to the dilimeas. As business sales professionals, we have some hurdles that we need to overcome and rethink some of our skills to continue to rise to the top. Our knowledge and experience is priceless and we need to use these skills to our advantage.
Remember, success always awaits us. We need to trust and believe in ourselves and our surroundings and we will prosper. Yes, there will be struggles and challenges but with the right mindset we can overcome them. Customers are changing their beliefs and priorities but we can mold ourselves and be flexible with their wants and needs. We can control the way we do business. Below are a few examples of how we can grasp success for the long term:
We have to possibly work harder than we have in the past. Our goal is to keep that pipleline as full as possible through increased and consistent prospecting. This will keep our income stream steady and protected. With the new "do not call" rules, we just have to be more creative about how we go about cold-calling. Especially in sales, setting appointments is crucial. It might require making many more calls than we did in the past to maintain the same return on investment.
We already know that the postcard prospecting system can be productive. We may need to improve our frequency and volume. Additionally, using the IBS in email format can get to potential sponsors quicker and for less cost. There are numerous ways to obtain the addresses, usually by visiting company or industry websites, as well as current print advertising sources. Be sure your subject line has strength to avoid being deleted before the message is opened. You can reach hundreds of prospects in a short period of time. The result is usually an appointment, and in my experience, I have found that our closing ratio improves on an appointment versus a cold call. We need a mixture to keep energized and productively busy all day.
Now more than ever the customer is not making quick decisions. Their thought process has been extended. Creating significance in the customer's mind is vitally important.
The business world is concerned with economic challenges and constantly changing rules. There is only one question we need to ask ourselves in reference to our roles: Is "good enough" really good enough? - 31821
