Corby O'Connor is a trained and certified Etiquette and Protocol Consultant teaching manners and social skills to business executives. She has conducted workshops, addressed conferences and prepared curriculum materials for organizations and major corporations. Ms. O'Connor is the author of the "Like an Executive" series of booklets offering hundreds of tips on ways to look, act, dine & speak like an executive.

It’s official.  We’re in a recession and the economy’s slowed.  Competition is fierce.  Now what?  How do you stay afloat, win clients, close deals and bring in new business when budgets are being cut and nobody’s buying?  your other products. 

Winning clients now is harder but it’s still possible.  It just takes more effort, time, skill and creativity.  To keep the momentum going, your campaign must ongoing, and multi-faceted.

Here are six steps to improve your business when things are slow:

Make a Plan –  Business has slowed so every day you must decide how you will spend the day generating income.  Paul Calendrillo always plans his day with two goals in mind:

Work with existing accounts and look for new contacts.  “Introduce your clients to your other products.  Find a good reason to call and work towards setting up face to face meetings.”  Said Calendrillo, president of Paul Calendrillo Associates of Princeton, which designs and delivers Wall Street industry sales training courses to banks and investment-management companies.  During slow times, Calendrillo recommends lunching with you’re your clients regularly to strengthen your relationships. When the economy does pick up, and it will, you want the client to call you first.   “Look for new contacts.  Establish a rapport with your contact and use a consultative, cordial selling approach.”  The pitch and close days are gone.  You have to work towards establishing a long-term relationship with your clients. 

Plan to spend time on the telephone prospecting for new clients, or at a half-day networking event, or at a sales training seminar.  Plan your free time as well.  Use the time to send out your direct mail pieces.  Your daily plan keeps you moving and keeps your attitude positive.  If you don’t have a plan, you’re likely to waste the day hoping the telephone will ring. 

  Build Loyalty – Business is business so never assume that because you have assumed a strong relationship with current clients that competitors cannot steal your clients.  Keep an eye out for what the competition is up to.  Reward your steady customers and stay in steady contact with them.  They are not likely to leave for no reason so steady contact gives you the opportunity to learn of any small problems before they become big ones.  Talk of long-term goals with your clients.  Make him think in terms of working with you on immediate and future projects.

  Solve Problems – Determine how your product or service can solve your prospect’s problems.  Your clients are not interested in how many sales you are making.  They want their business problems solved.  Convince them that your product or service will do that.  Fix their big problems and they will find the money.

  Prospect – Do it constantly and consistently. Decide in advance who your prospects are.  If you give training programs to new hires, then your prospects are Human Resources professionals.  Join their organizations.  Your list of satisfied, sold customers is valuable.  Stay in touch regularly.  Announce your new products by mail; send monthly tips or a quarterly newsletter.  Make sure everyone you know is aware of what you sell.  Compile a new list of qualified prospects and begin reaching out to them with direct mail and telephone calls.   Everyone is a prospect and you must be thinking prospecting all the time.  Without taking advantage of a friendship to make a sale, you can remind friends and family that you’re offering your product or service because you sincerely believe their interests are best served by buying.  Always keep your eyes open for business opportunities.  Use information resources offered by The Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau and your local library.

  Improve – Sharpen your skills.  There is always room for improvement when it comes to knowing your product and selling it. 

 “The best sales people are doing fine.  It is the mediocre sales people who are struggling.  When money was readily available, sales were easy.  Now these sales people are finding they have to sharpen their skills.”

Use your down time to become familiar with the latest industry information.  It’s a good time to read those trade magazines that you can’t always get to.  Also, take a sales course to keep you focused on your goals.  Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them.  Good salesmanship requires organization, commitment and personal responsibility.  Keep track of your time.  Top selling professionals account for time spent with prospects, time spent waiting and time spent in travel.  Those who are serious about success spend their travel time listening to motivational tapes or preparing for their next presentation.  The better you utilize your time, the more sales you will generate. 

 Network – It’s the name of the game in business.  Develop a plan for your networking.  Perhaps select a certain income bracket, or industry if your business does not restrict you to one already.  Join associations and become involved in leadership positions.  This is how others see how well you work. Approach your networking relationships with a “how can I help you?” attitude.  Ask questions.  Do not push yourself on people; just get to know them.  Do not expect an immediate return; rather work on building long-term relationships.  Be willing to invest the time to build rapport and credibility. People like to buy from those they know and trust.  Stay in touch with your network.  Send a magazine article that may interest someone you know.  Invite guests to events where interesting speakers are booked.  Each contact does not have to be business related.  Be the type of person people enjoy doing business with and when the time comes they will automatically think of you.

  Now that the economy is slow and the country is at war, it’s a good time to reach out, schmooz and catch-up.  The most effective sales process is cordial and friendly. So start smiling and dialing. 

Corby O'Connor
261 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite C • Verona, NJ 07044
Tel.: 973.857.6200 • Fax: 973.857.6289
etiquette@corbyoconnor.com