OH NO! IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

Yes, it is that time again! Business is slow. Maybe it's time to save money by killing our marketing expenses until things pick up?

No! No! No! Canceling association memberships and meeting attendance, trade shows, media advertising,- these are just some examples of marketing wisdom at its worst.

When times are slow, it's time to ratchet up, not decrease your marketing. This doesn't mean you have to spend more. After all, in marketing it's not what you spend, but how you spend it.

By this I mean that you have to keep your company name in front of people. This is not the time to barricade yourself in the office!

One of the most important aspects of marketing is positioning yourself -separating yourselves from your competition. Since the above "kill" reaction to a business slowdown is so prevalent, you'll be standing out, merely by being "out there."

You might engage a marketing consultant to help you with a simple Marketing Plan for the coming year. Take clients/customers to breakfast, lunch or coffee. Form alliances with those in related industries with whom you can refer back and forth. Pay attention to your vendors, who very often thank you with referrals, merely because you showed them respect and attention, not to mention prompt payment.

Even when business slows down, someone is always buying. It's marketing's job to ensure they buy from you! People can't purchase from you, if you don't have a presence.

So stop panicking. Absolutely stop dropping prices. Try marketing the way we used to before technology became so prevalent and impersonal. Market face-to-face and voice-to-voice. What a concept! After all, marketing is emotional, not logical. People buy from those in whom they have confidence, with whom they feel comfortable, from those they trust.

Today in marketing the personal approach is not only back, it's the only way that really works. Build relationships and watch your sales, referrals and additional business from existing clients grow solidly and profitably.