This economy is tough for everyone but especially for salespeople. Money is tight, companies are delaying decisions and jobs are on the line. Yet, through it all sales must continue…and they do. One, well, macabre thought through this time is that this economy is a tool that separates the order takers from the closers. If you think about it, the salespeople who have rested on a strong territory, one large customer or golden leads are now having to face a prospecting situation. For some this is a nightmare of slasher movie proportions. I have seen a company’s perception of a “strong” salesperson change dramatically during similar economic times. This downturn… Read More
Continue ReadingSmall Business Optimism
The economy is slow right now, but to call it a recession at this point is hyperbole. Inc.com has a quick story on a survey of small-business owners. The survey sample is small, but the results are encouraging. Though many in the small-business sector remain concerned with broad economy conditions, a growing number of owners and employees are upbeat about activity in their own market, a new survey finds. Of 500 small-business owners and employees recently polled by Opinion Research Corporation, a Princeton, N.J-based database firm, 65 percent rated their firm’s business conditions as good, while less than a third described them as poor. Though 71 percent said the U.S… Read More
Continue Reading“Staycations”
The Herman Trend Alert (sorry, no link) today highlights areas of the economy that are growing, even thriving, during the slowdown. Some you may not have considered: Logistics alternatives to diesel-consuming trucks that are more efficient at moving goods, like railroads, are also doing well. Plus, fed up with increasing delays and cancellations of flights, passengers are choosing rail travel over air. Expect this trend to increase; the US rail lines will borrow experts from Canadian Pacific and Virgin to learn how to deliver extraordinary passenger experiences. Domestic food producers, especially domestic cheese producers are reaping the benefits of the falling dollar. Rapidly rising prices for imported products are prompting… Read More
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