Growing Sales In A Down Economy

When the economy is down, it can seem almost instinctive to use what I call “foot-on-the-neck” tactics to keep Sales up. During my Sales career, I’ve seen such devices used, in good times and in bad times, with some regularity. My experience has been that these procedures are limited in their effectiveness and often result in some pretty negative side-effects. Lets face it, when the economy is down, sales potential will be reduced too and no matter how hard you press down with your “foot-on-the-neck”, there’s only so much that can be squeezed out. In the process you’re likely to “bruise the necks” of your Sales people, making them resentful and perhaps, forcing them into behaviors that don’t reflect the quality of representation you really want.


So what is a more effective approach during these tough times for businesses? I think the best answer to this was summed up in a conversation I had with our mortgage lender, when I ran into her at a recent business meeting in our community. Of course, her industry has probably been hit as hard as any business sector, in the current economy. So, I asked her how business was going. Her response was that she’s in this for the long-term. There are peaks and there are valleys. During the last peak, she did what she knew was necessary to prepare for the next valley, And, now that she’s in the valley, she’s tending to the things she didn’t have time for during the last peak and she’s doing this so she can maximize the benefits of the next peak.

What a great role model?! It brought to mind work I did with a Client during our country’s last big economic downturn … post 9/11. The Client was a major manufacturer of office furniture, whose Chairman had been championing a particular course in Cross-Cultural Communication to establish more consistency in the company’s corporate culture, to accomplish more productive business communication internally. I know this doesn’t seem very connected to Sales yet but bear with me … the Chairman’s initiative wasn’t getting much traction until I met with his EVP of Sales and pointed out to him that every time one of his Sales people entered a prospective Customer’s environment, they were actually entering a unique culture. Then, I went on to point out that, if his Sales organization was equipped with Cross-Cultural Communication Education and the competitor was not, his company had a huge advantage. As a result, the course that the Chairman was championing was deployed throughout the company, from the top down. The Sales result did not include putting the competitor out of business (yes, I have to admit to having that “killer instinct” too) but, in that down economy, my Client consistently beat their Sales goals and significantly increased their market-share, which they continue to grow.

Although I like telling that story, I know it can seem a bit altruistic. In fact, in times like we’re in, a business leader may just be trying to figure out how to make payroll or pay the light bill or … you name it. However, if your circumstances allow, my recommendation is to avoid looking to “foot-on-the-neck” sort of steps to buoy your company’s Sales. Instead, take a fresh look at all aspects of your Sales organization and consider what could be improved with some investment. One resource that may, actually, be more available for investment than it is during an economic boom is time. Regardless, I encourage investing what you can now. Its more likely than “foot-on-the-neck” to maximize current Sales performance and, like my friend the mortgage lender, you’ll be prepared to “maximize the benefits of the next peak. ‘

For another source of good ideas on this topic, check out http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_/ai_n27872174. What steps are you taking, along these lines, for the benefit of your Sales organization? As always, we welcome your Comments, to share with others!