Thrive during a recession 5 tips for your business to survive Be cautious when cutting costs When the economy gets bad, many business owners carry the mentally of cut, cut, cut! It's always important to cut unnecessary expenses, but be sure you're planning long term. Continue to advertise Advertising is often one of the first costs business owners try to cut in trying times. This is BIG mistake. It's important to maintain, if not increase, your advertising while your competitors are cutting theirs. Consumers may be more cautious about spending money, but they're still spending. With consistent advertising, your business will be the first consumers turn to in the poor economy. Hire an intern Hiring an intern is a great way to get some extra help for little money. There are plenty of qualified college students and recent graduates who may be able bring fresh viewpoints to your business. It's important to have a plan and system in place when hiring an intern so it's not only rewarding for your business, but a great experience for your intern. Devote time to increasing business Spend time actively networking with clear intentions. Check in periodically with people you've met. If you have a regular newsletter, add potential customers to the recipient list. It's also important to nurture the relationships you have with your current customers and keep them faithful to you. Don't be afraid to ask your loyal customers for referrals. Be positive It's tempting to complain about the office, especially during the economic hardships most people are experiencing, but try to remain positive. A bad attitude can damage the growth of your business. The attitude you emanate is picked up by your employees. If you want happy and productive employees, you have to demonstrate the same. Network to success Many people do not know how to network correctly. Networking is more than handing out your business card at an event. Valuable networking involves building relationships with other businesspeople to achieve leads, recommendations and support. Use these guidelines to get the most from your networking efforts. Share information: Exchange information with your new contact about each other's business. Ask plenty of questions and make them feel like you value them, even if there seems to be no immediate benefits from your interaction. Once they've told you about their business, tell them about yours. Create a relationship: Building a relationship starts the first time you meet, but goes beyond that. Check in with your contacts periodically. Ask about their business, get to know them and create a rapport. Maintain and evaluate: Keep in touch with the businesspeople you build relationships with. Of course, stay connected with contacts beneficial to you, but never burn bridges with those who aren't. You never know who will refer you to a potential customer. It starts with the sales staff 6 traits every salesperson should possess There's a good chance that if someone walks through your business door, they are interested in making a purchase, or at least obtaining information to persuade them to make a purchase. Coach your sales staff to acquire these qualities to kick start success: Exude friendliness. Make the customer feel welcome with a sincere smile, friendly personality and a sense of humor. Dress professionally. The dress code of your company should be enforced. This can be as simple as wrinkle-free shirts or uniforms. A neat and clean appearance is a must. Consider needs. Pay attention to the customer's needs and wants and answer accordingly. Don't try to sell them anything that is significantly unrelated to what they're looking for. Provide informed recommendations. Know the product or service being sold and be able to make appropriate recommendations to customers. Communicate money saving tips. Share the latest special offers with the customer to help them cut their bill even further when possible. Work out the best deals for what the customer is looking for. Follow-up appropriately. Once you provide the customer with all the information they need to make a decision, give them enough time to consider their options. Usually one to two weeks is an appropriate time range for follow-up. Remember, spending money on advertising and public relations can bring the customers to you, but your sales team needs to employ the skills to retain the customer and make the sale. Advertising spotlight- Create an effective radio commercial Radio advertising offers a great opportunity to make a real impact with the right voice and the right message. Simply stated, a professionally recorded message will reflect positively on your company. Of course, the opposite is also true. Don't damage your company's image with a poorly produced commercial. Here are a few tips for creating a radio commercial: Write in a conversational style with direct, short sentences. Repeat your main points twice. Keep your target audience in mind, both in the writing of the script and the selection of your voiceover talent. An advertising agency can help you find local talent to record your message, or you may choose to use a local radio personality for your commercial. Talk about features, special promotions, events, etc., but try to stick to one topic or overall benefit. Use the power of your listeners' imaginations to create images with descriptive language, music and sound effects. Use customer testimonials to boost sales A customer testimonial can be a powerful way to show consumers the value of your product or service. A testimonial is a written or spoken statement that praises a product, service or company. When done correctly, customer testimonials compel potential consumers to believe in what your company has to offer. One client of All Seasons Communications is currently using customer testimonials in their radio and TV advertising to bring residents into their system-built homes. Kentland Communities has recognized the value in having a satisfied current resident as a spokesman of their product. Kentland's implementation of customer testimonials is successful because the testimony is coming from people with a similar background as the people in their target market. Click here to check out Kentland's radio and TV spots. MAKE CONTACT Contact Our People Request a Quote REQUEST A DVD Receive a DVD sampling of our work. Name Street City State  Zip            SIGN-UP FOR E-NEWSLETTER Receive occasional newsletters with tips and hints to improve your business.