8 Questions to Ask Yourself in a Recession

by Wendy Weiss ~ February 24th, 2009. Filed under: General Questions About Self-publishing & Planning.

1. What can I do for my existing customers to create greater value for them?
Creating additional value builds customer loyalty. It is always important to have customer loyalty… especially during a recession.

2. Who can I refer to one of my existing customers or prospects?
See #1 above. Helping customers creates loyalty. It also induces reciprocity. If you help a customer, they will feel obliged to help you, perhaps with an additional order, perhaps with a referral or perhaps simply by not switching to another vendor.

3. What else (products or services) can I offer existing customers and prospects?
Additional products and services mean potential additional sales. What makes sense to add to your existing offerings? Now might be the time to add them.

4. Which existing customers might be in a position to offer great referrals?
If you don’t routinely ask customers for referrals it’s now the time to start. If you do routinely ask for referrals, when is the last time you asked? It might be time to go back and ask again.

5. How many prospects do I need to contact in order to close one sale?
If you haven’t already done it, figure out your average. Then do the math so that you know exactly how many prospects you need to contact in order to reach your sales goals. Bear in mind, the number may be higher than usual because of the recession.

6. How can I better organize my time?
Tighten up your sales cycle. Tighten up the time you spend on nonproductive and nonrevenue-generating tasks. If you’re not selling, you’re not making money.

7. What do I most need to learn to help me sell more? How can I learn it and how soon can I learn it?
Do you need to improve your skills? Will improving your skills help you close more sales? For most sales professionals the answer to this question is “yes.” Identify the skills you need and take steps to acquire those skills. They will help you, in this recession, and beyond.

8. Will one of the sales-enhancing Weiss Communications programs help me achieve my goals?
If you’ve answered “yes” to the above question take a look at the Weiss Communications Store – www.wendyweiss.com/sales_training_tools.html

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. She is recognized as one of the leading authorities on lead generation, cold calling and new business development and she helps clients speed up their sales cycle, reach more prospects directly and generate more sales revenue. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free Special Report, Getting in the Door: How to Write an Effective Cold Calling Script, at www.wendyweiss.com.

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