How To Recession-Proof Your Sales

Adopt these street-smart secrets to guarantee that lots of profitable sales cascade into your business regardless of economic conditions. The downturn some pundits see on the horizon could be just what the doctor ordered to ensure that your competition takes their eyes off the ball allowing you to grab sales.

Right now most pundits are predicting tough times ahead and all of the evidence is pointing that way too. So it's a great time to take these easy steps to guarantee sales roll in for your business regardless of what economic climate prevails. Of course, if the recesssion doesn't transpire, you'll have boosted your sales so much that your competitors won't see you for dust.

1. Do what other businesses don't do
   
   Most businesses struggle with this one because there's something comfortable and reassuring about doing what everyone else does. Only trouble is it makes you "average" - somewhere between bottom of the best and best of the bottom. Sit down with your sales team and get them each to list at least five things that they do differently to their competitors. If you or your sales people can't rattle off these differences you are staring a sales famine in the face.
   
   
2. Get yourself an endless supply of prospects
   
   That's right you need to have a little black box that generates prospects for your business day after day. Any business can have such a black box - it could be as simple as an advertisement that works every time or as sophisticated as an elaborately planned and carefully managed mailing campaign.
   
   
3. Get the best out of your sales people
   
   And that's not meant to be a motivational platitude either. Ever wondered why some salespeople convert eight out of 10 prospects into sales and others only two out of 10? Although they all see the same type of prospects some outsell others by a factor of four. Capitalise on this by getting your poorer salespeople to do what the good ones do and pretty soon they'll get the same great results.
   
   
4. Hang in until prospects buy or die
   
   It is simply amazing how most salespeople give up if their first attempt to sell to someone doesn't produce the goods. If they get a knock back they get all hurt and precious and never go back. Statistics show that more sales are made on the second and third call than on the first. Give your salespeople more interesting ammunition for their follow-up calls and you'll dramatically increase their results.
   
   
5. Follow up unfailingly
   
   If a prospect phones, mails a coupon, requests a brochure, wanders into your store or any way shows interest about your product they are telling you they want to buy. Always follow them up. If they phone, drop them a line that day; if they send in a coupon, respond that day; if they request a brochure, send it that day; if they wander in, mail them a note that day. And then follow up a few days later. Why? Simply because a staggering 96% of enquiries are never followed up. They'll be so impressed when you do that you'll boost your chances of getting the business.
   
   
6. Embrace the three magic questions
   
   Whenever you get a new prospect you must always ask them:
   
   
   
   • "How did you find out about us?" so that you can keep on doing whatever motivated them to seek you out.
     
     
   • "What is your name, address and e-mail?" so that you can follow up unfailingly, and
     
     
   • "How much do you know about (whatever you sell)?" so that, when you correctly handle their answer, you are perceived as the expert. People buy from experts whom they like, respect and trust.
     
     

Regrettably most sales teams pay scant attention to these and seven other equally simple strategies that maximise sales in any climate. So, do what others don't do - adopt them and laugh at the prospect of a recession induced sales slump!

Marketing Guru Winston Marsh works with companies and their sales teams to take the grunt work out of selling by devising simple methods to generate an endless supply of prospects and turn them into highly profitable sales. Contact him or call for an info pack at Business Growth Centre, Oakleigh Victoria; Phone: (61 3) 9569 1100; Website: www.bgrowth.com.au; Email: info@bgrowth.com.au. Reproduced from Plus Magazine.
First published: 1 June 2001.
Last updated: 3 May 2006.