Business conditions are getting tough.

So what are you going to do?

•Blame everyone & everything.

•Hope it will get better.

•Pretend everything is OK.

•Take up drinking!

Or ... you can get proactive and do whatever it takes to keep business coming through the door!

Business owners & managers quite rightly cut back on spending in tough times, but far too often we cut back on the wrong things. Cutting back on advertising, mailing and telephone sales is definitely a losing proposition. I have even seen insurance cancelled!

When business slows down it’s time to pick up the phone or better still visit your customers, press the flesh, buy lunch and reconnect. Send out bold and imaginative offers backed up and reinforced by a telephone call. Re-work your product to make it a little bit cheaper, then sell the hell out of it and get news items printed about your company. Project a positive message that your customers and prospects will respond to.

In a sea of negativity, positivity shines like a beacon. I have been there myself, but I was lucky enough to have a mentor who gave me this advice, and it helped my company to flourish in an adverse market.

I always remember one thing my mentor said “The only thing failure cannot cope with is persistence”. That’s good advice for hard times. Good luck to you!