Guidelines for surviving -- and even thriving in -- the online recession

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Lant


As a Baby Boomer in good standing, I've seen recessions before -- lots of 'em. The first recession I remember was 1958 andrepparttar effect it produced onrepparttar 106645 Republican Party. (I sure hope George W took American History at Yale, but I doubt he remembers much.)

Anyway, as a Recession Veteran, I've been watchingrepparttar 106646 economic prognosticators, commentators and opinion-makers struggling withrepparttar 106647 current economic reality. Everybody wants this thing over yesterday. Because this is what they want, lots of people are dishing out a lot of "it's going to end in about five minutes" predictions onrepparttar 106648 belief that to say it is to have it.

Well, it's time for some economic reality. These "doldrums" are universal; they effect every single industrialized country on earth... and there's no way inrepparttar 106649 world you can turn this worldwide phenomenon around in a couple of months. What's more NOBODY know when things will end and get better, so we can all break out into a rousing chorus of "Happy Days Are Here Again."

What I suggest is that you stop wondering when it's going to end and prepare to dorepparttar 106650 best you can to make maximum profits now and emerge from these troubled waters inrepparttar 106651 best shape possible. The truth is NO ONE knows when this will all be over and only one thing is certain: in time things WILL get better.

#1 Cut Every Expense

One key to weathering a recession is to take your outgoing expenses and put them under both a microscope and a knife. You need to look at each item you spend money on and ask yourself whether you need this, whether you need it atrepparttar 106652 current levels, or whether you could not get along with less of it or arrange your activities to cut back on this expense. In other words, you need to get total control of all your outgoing expenses, including (importantly) personnel, which is for most businessesrepparttar 106653 largest single expense. Remember your objective: to surviverepparttar 106654 bad times with as little discomfort as possible, cutting expenses torepparttar 106655 greatest amount possible, while leavingrepparttar 106656 infrastructure of your business intact so that you're ready whenrepparttar 106657 economic turnaround eventually comes.

The silver lining inrepparttar 106658 economic cloud is that all businesses spend at least some money unwisely. During economic times, when everyone is fat and happy, there's no incentive to make changes. "What me worry?" isrepparttar 106659 Alfred E. Newman approach to expenditures during boom times. Thus, an economic downturn may actually have a salutary effect, causing people who are determined to survive to develop their MONEY CONSCIOUSNESS by putting every single expense underrepparttar 106660 microscope and asking, "Do we REALLY need this?"

#2 What's Selling The Best? What Needs To Be Done To Sell More Of It? Do not accept diminished revenues as an immutable inevitability!

All businesses have best-selling products/services. A recession means you sell fewer of them. Is that acceptable to you? It certainly isn't acceptable to me! Thus, you've got to look at your best-selling items and then do what's necessary to sell at leastrepparttar 106661 same amount of them, if not more. Ordinarily this means cutting prices; certainly you should review your price structure. But you shouldn't only review your price structure. For instance, you can add more ofrepparttar 106662 product forrepparttar 106663 same price, add extra time (like an extra month to a one-year service), or otherwise improverepparttar 106664 perceived valuerepparttar 106665 customer is getting. People don't stop buying in a recession. But they do put their buying decisions under a microscope. However, by understanding that they continue to respond to value and to bargains, you can structure your offers accordingly to counter diminished sales.

What's the Secret to Repeat Business?

Written by Diane Hughes


When you think about ways to gain repeat business from your customers, you probably turn your thoughts to marketing efforts such as advertising, public relations and other means that will allow you to repeatedly be seen. However, without one particular element included in your plan, your efforts to entice customers to buy over and over will fail. Even autoresponders -repparttar "king" of repeat exposure - can't producerepparttar 106644 type of loyalty needed to ensure your customers continually send their dollars your way.

This missing link is often not even considered as part of a marketing plan - but it should be! What isrepparttar 106645 secret to repeat business? Exceptional customer service. Are you surprised? You really shouldn't be. Put yourself in "consumer mode" forrepparttar 106646 next minute or two and let's explorerepparttar 106647 power of a solid customer service program.

Think ofrepparttar 106648 last time you purchased from a business and had a poor experience. What brought you torepparttar 106649 business to begin with? Maybe low price. Perhaps it was thatrepparttar 106650 company had a product/service you needed immediately. Even selection can play a role in attracting us to a business. But once you bought, what happened next?

Whenrepparttar 106651 product didn't live up to your standards or whenrepparttar 106652 service didn't work as expected, did you getrepparttar 106653 response you needed? Didrepparttar 106654 company show concern for your position? Did they correctrepparttar 106655 mistake or issue a refund? If not, you - like most others - probably left vowing never to buy from them again.

What you experienced was a marketing plan that had no follow-through. They were able to entice you and draw you in. They were successful in getting you to spend your money. However, when it came time forrepparttar 106656 plan to promote "backend sales", it failed. It had no follow-through and they lostrepparttar 106657 remainder of your business for life.

Here are several things to consider when creating a customer service program that will help to boost your marketing plan and your repeat business.

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