The panic, worry and smell of fear in the market is everywhere at the moment. Every business owner I talk to is scared and unsure of how the next 12 month period is going to pan out. For most, it is going to be tough. A lot of big brands are going bust and a lot of well managed businesses are going to the wall. The question is – will your brand save you in tough times? The answer is yes – but you need to do some other things right as well to get through.
In tough times, you need to increase your marketing, crank up your sales activities and scout the market for quick and easy wins – while laying the foundations for the odd big win – or lots of big wins. I call this buttering the bread until the jam arrives.
My quick survival guide is below:
- Get your brand in order (make sure your logo, marketing materials, sales tools and other collateral are in place and looking professional and easy to use).
- Make sure your website is up-to-date, easy to use and professional looking.
- Get your sales people (you) out and about pushing your brand and offerings – the pavement is a wonderful thing – it is FREE.
- Take the small wins as well as the big wins – all business is good business in this market.
- Get online and get viral – viral email campaigns that are edgy, quirky or controversial and move fast can generate a huge following – consider social networking – its FREE – exploit it strategically.
- Create competitions, campaigns, and other activities to engage people.
- Avoid costly advertising that is not directly linked to sales.
The market wants to feel GOOD. Make sure your brand is as good as it can be in all respects and then get moving. Your brand can save you in tough times. But – you need to save yourself! The market waits for no-one.
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