Podcast with Sandy Weaver Carman "Success in a Slow Economy"
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Each morning‚ I read the on–line radio trade papers. I also check out a couple of marketing sites‚ some internet–geek–type sites‚ and a few blogs. Each morning‚ I learn a little bit more than I knew yesterday. And if you’re a business owner‚ I want to share something I found on a radio trade site recently.
There are weekly commentary pages on the site‚ and one is written by "JoeGM‚" who‚ according to the blurb under his very blurry picture‚ is "GM‚ Really Big Company." JoeGM shares his weekly to‚do list‚ which is populated with some great ideas for radio‚ and sometimes great ideas that work for all sorts of businesses. The list I read recently had several great ideas for any sort of business‚ not just radio‚ and I’d like to share them with you.
These are tough times. Retail is holding its collective breath‚ hoping that the holiday shopping rush will not fizzle out like Wall Street has. Advertisers are cutting their budgets in half‚ then in half again‚ trying to find the balance between enough marketing and enough money to keep their businesses afloat. And the businesses that serve advertisers and retail are taking a pounding financially.
It would be easy to get gloomy and give up‚ but that fixes nothing and makes whatever problem there might be even bigger. Instead‚ JoeGM suggests some proactive things to do to help morale and the bottom line. Quoting from JoeGM’s to‚do list:
Announce you are personally paying the sales assistants overtime to have the sales offices open on Saturdays from 8am til 12noon to double time it this Fall. To set up a great 1st Quarter‚ keep the sales offices open on Saturdays.
Categories that do well in a tough economy: Blue Collar Services like Carpet Cleaning‚ Repair Services‚ Liquor‚ Movies‚ Sports‚ Used Cars‚ Crime prevention etc. Take a look around at where the money is being spent.
Do not skip the Staff Christmas party even in tight economic times with layoffs. Get a party done for these folks even if you have to pay for it yourself and do it at your house.
Now is the time to make sure that you are recruiting new blood to your sales team. New blood creates new energy. Reminder: Commissioned sales people do not have vacation…they only have days they choose not to earn commission.
To ensure success in a slow economy‚ or maybe just to survive in a slow economy‚ be like JoeGM: optimistic‚ pragmatic and proactive. Go get ’em‚ and have a great week!
As always‚ if I can answer any questions for you or be of service to you‚ don’t hesitate to contact me.
