Preparing for the fight ahead

The economy is getting tough and everyone is starting to really watch how they spend their money. This means small business owners need to get dirty now. I am going to focus on the income producing ideas in this Blog verses the expense cutting ideas...for now.

If you continue to do business the way you have always done business, then you will continue to get the same results you have always produced. Make sense?

But if you shift you sales and marketing approach and rethink how to deliver it more creatively and in a less expensive way, then you may find you are getting more business in the door. Let's look at the basics:
1. Do you keep a database of your customers and their information (such as DOB, address, phone, email, any demographics, etc.)? If yes, then the data needs to be looked at carefully to discover who your customers are and what they are purchasing. If you do not collect this type of information I suggest starting now. Research should always be the starting point to marketing to increase your probability of targeting the correct audience, thus increasing your probability of a sale.
2. Change the game. Set 3 new strategies for how to get more customers in the door. These 3 strategies should be actions you have not taken before. Challenge your strategies before moving on to ensure you feel they have the most potential based on the research. Once you have put together 3 strategies create 3 ways to implement each strategy and then create 3 ways to implement those 3 processes. Your plan of strategy and execution should look like this;
* Strategy 1
*Process A
* Sub Process a
* Sub Process b
* Sub Process c
* Process B
* Sub Process a
* Sub Process b
* Sub Process c
* Process C
* Sub Process a
* Sub Process b
* Sub Process c
* Strategy 2
etc.
This is how you can create a plan to execute a strategy based on our 3x3 Model. Each element should have 4 things:
1. A person responsible for the task
2. A time and date the process or task needs to be completed to ensure the strategy does not go out longer than 12 months. we are working with shot term initiatives.
3. Performance measures. You need to see how things are progressing daily or weekly to ensure things stay on course.
4. Incentives. If an employee hits the target or goal they need to be rewarded.

Get out and implement the strategy and do not delay. Remember, if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.

To greater success and please feel free to write in with you success stories.