“We’re pulling back our budgets” is a too oft sung refrain.
In today’s down economy, our funding in we’ll reign.
Things are tough all around and forecasters don’t predict a quick rebound. But history and physics both show that what goes down must come back. Will your company be ready?
This is a terrific time to think like your client and to be your own client. Are you offering your clients useful advice for weathering the recession? When did you last communicate with them and did you acknowledge their concerns? Has your website been unchanged since 2006? Are your messages on point and relevant to today’s market realities? Are your counsel strategies all expensive or are you proposing tactics with economies in mind? Do your customers need what you offer? Have you considered that your competitors of yesterday might be your partners of today?
A critical self-assessment can reinvigorate your business development thinking. Looking at your business through your customers’ lens will sharpen your approach to prospecting, cause you to be scrupulous with limited time and resources, and help you to convert tire kickers into new customers.
Perhaps the customer in the mirror really can be the most valuable to your business.
March 20th, 2010 at 2:06 am
i might not have imagined this was splendid one or two years in the past nonetheless it’s amusing the way years changes the way you have an understanding of unusual ideas, many thanks for the article it is good to start reading some thing smart occasionally in lieu of the usual garbage mascarading as blogs on the web, i’m off to play a couple of hands of facebook poker, cheers
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Thanks Ralph. Unfortunately too many companies gamble with their customer relationships. Instead of fleeting transactions with quick slight of hand, they should look at how to get the customer back to table, time and time again. Much of that boils down to forthright communications (especially when something is going well), being fair, and treating a customer well by delivering on their expectations. Hope the cards are good to you!