In today's whirly climate of recession versus downturn versus sunny skies, it serves us all to consider how to recession-proof businesses. It certainly never hurts, right?

"Those who focus on getting their sales message, sales staff and corporate mission in alignment with what the business' customers value will reap the greatest reward in any economy and in particular, a recession." - K. McKeon

In a recession we effectively cull the herd of non-performing companies. If you are the bottom quarter of your industry, perhaps your talents are better suited elsewhere. Move on.

A recession is the perfect time to test your sales staff. As other companies realize they are not in the fight for the long haul, your front line sales staff should be scooping up customers left and right. A company in alignment with customer values should actually THRIVE during a recession or downturn. Even if your product doesn't fully suit your customer in the economic downturn, simply having that customer means you can ask what to provide to maximize the customer's needs. It may mean providing a smaller form of your product or a related product. You won't know until you ask. Good sales staff ask.

For more on the concept of aligning your front line with your customer's needs: How to Recession Proof Businesses.

Go. Win.

Rummaging through e-mails with a particular client I came across this thought:

Before you invest any time, energy or money in your web presence, determine what your potential clients are actually looking for in the marketplace. Since the vast majority of clients will come in via face-to-face contact, the website needs simple answers to the questions they have but do not wish to call directly to ask. The more targeted the response to the ideal client, the better the web serves to aid in conversion. I have built a few hundred web pages over the past few years and some of the plainest sites have the best conversion rates. . . . It is not about creating a name brand; it is about creating a consistent image that your potential clients are looking to find. Too many websites attempt to please too many non-clients, a waste of resources.

What I was attempting to side-step was this particular client's insistence that his image was more important than fundamentals - like getting and keeping customers. He was losing staff through poor management which in turn was damaging relationships with his customers. No good people and processes - your brilliance can not shine. We parted ways . . . I hope he proves me wrong. It's a treat of a business.