30 Ways To Keep Selling Through A Recession

These are presented in no particular order and only begin to cover the topic. Feel free to contribute any and all of your own via the comments!

1. Stay in contact with your best clients. If you don’t someone else will.

2. Extend your reach beyond your primary contact at the company you are prospecting.

3. Have clients come to visit your home office for education days.

4. Send timely articles and business builders. The Moment of Truth

5. Use social networking – less than 50% of sale people do.

6. Know your competitors product changes.

7. Know your competitors policy and procedure changes.

8. Be sincere

9. Listen more carefully

10. Have empathy for your clients and prospects.

11. Show them how to raise prices.

12. Show them how to cut costs.

13. Avoid the word ‘no’.

14. Bring the resources of your entire company to the discussion.

15. Call at off hours to increase target’s ability to talk.

16. Keep business out of personal world – i.e. at kid’s soccer field.

17. Present more aggressive marketing ideas.

18. Hone your referral network.

19. Get personal endorsements – in writing.

20. Stay positive – nobody wants to visit with a bummed out salesmen.

21. Focus on the client solution, not the commission.

22. Hone your speaking/presentation skills.

23. Send small gifts, just because.

24. Do something wacky

25. Reevaluate your commitment to your product.

26. Stay balanced

27. Stop worrying

28. Remember your humor

29. Remember your humor (it’s important enough to mention twice)

30. Always think in ‘how will this be memorable’ terms.

photo credit: kevindooley