Get Help...Get it Now. Don't Wait.

Get Answers. Get Them Now

The answer to slipping sales during tough economic times is to work harder, work smarter and to leverage any and all available strategies, tools and tactics to fight for and land a bigger piece of the smaller pie that is our current economy.

I See it Everyday

I spend a lot of my time working with small and mid-sized Michigan based manufacturers, distributors and allied businesses. They are hurting.

Grim Realities

My clients share similar profiles and find themselves in one or more of the following categories…

“I purchased the business. My industry and my customers are hurting. My business volume is way down. I don’t know how to sell. I don’t know what to do.”

“I have come to realize that my sales staff are account managers and order takers. They are terrific with existing customers but can’t seem to land new clients. Now what?”

“We have better products, services and pricing than our competitors. Why aren’t our customers calling and placing orders? It doesn’t make sense. I hope business gets better soon.”

“I inherited my business and my customers. My industry and my customers are hurting. Sales have disappeared. What can I do?”

“All of my business was generated by manufacturer’s representatives. They have stopped selling. Now what should I do?”

“I built up my customer base years ago. I used to know how to sell but have spent the last decade or two providing service to my existing customer base and have lost my selling edge. I don’t have answers.”

Help is Everywhere

There is hope for any struggling business. Help is everywhere. If you need to turn things around, start by checking in with your Chamber of Commerce. Next, ask around and visit your local business networking groups. In Michigan there are County and State departments that provide free counseling for struggling businesses. Sometimes there is grant money available to help turn things around. Organizations like SPARK in Ann Arbor, Automation Alley in Oakland County, PTAC and TechTown at Wayne State University offer programs, networking and support services dedicated to helping business and industry. Wow! Help is everywhere.

Tools of Change

Next, check out the incredible tools that can help you get your message out to potential new customers, possibly in new industries. SwiftPage or Constant Contact are inexpensive and powerful tools that allow you to create, launch and manage e-mail campaigns. Blogger.com is a free tool to create and publish your message and will establish you as a subject matter expert. Linkedin is a free social network dedicated to business and industry. Microsoft Shared View is a free software tool that empowers you to make presentation on the Internet. Get the picture?

Plan

Creating a plan to take advantage of available help and tools is essential to making positive change happen. You must have a plan. No plan – no go.

Do

Execute. By all means, execute on your plan. Meet people, tell your story, ask for help, ask for referrals, broadcast information, make phone calls, ask for appointments, ask what it will take to do business with you and, by all means, ask for orders. Do it. Do a lot of everything.

Get Ideas…Get Positive and Stay Positive

Finally, buy a magazine, buy a book, buy a CD, attend a sales conference, and get marketing and sales training. Like my upcoming 2009 Success Express seminar and workshop events. There is a wealth of great information that will fill your head with useful, positive and happy information that will get you through your ordeal. Personally, I recommend Tom Hopkins material. He gets it and is interesting and funny. You can find him on Amazon.com

Can’t Do It? No Problem!

If you can’t do it yourself, there are people like myself who are available to help and guide you as you take control of your circumstances and turn things around. We are here to help. Just write or call.