Profitable Pockets

I’m wrapping up my trip this week in Philadelphia and I am finding a consistent theme – company revenues are down but there are specific niches, or pockets that each company has maintained.  Some have even grown in these areas.  Businesses will survive this economy by leveraging their strong markets (maybe not their core markets). I have consistently heard that medical, aerospace and some consumer electronics markets are still relatively strong.  Salespeople should be in close contact with their customers right now to identify these pockets and leverage them in their sales activities.  Failure to take this initiative could be a truly career-limiting move. Another consistent theme I have encountered… Read More

Continue Reading

A Filtering Economy

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 Reading