How Can It be a Happy New Year if Your Sales Are in the Toilet?

In the post-Christmas headlines, turns out Santa will actually lease out reindeer this year to make ends meet. As a result, Blitzen has formed a hostile Union (I never trusted him anyway; sounded like a Commie name) Elves are marching at the Pole, demanding pay during the off-season. Sickening.

If the joy of Christmas was only in retail dollars, then we’d all be reading “‘Twas the night before Chapter 11”. Not exactly uplifting. Yet if you’re reading the good news out there, your perspective may be a little different.

• Americans are saving more money now. There is more money “on the sidelines” now than the entire GDP. Gosh, I wonder what they’ll spend it on when they’re ready to buy?

• Some store sales were off slightly for retailers, but the numbers of customers was down. Translation: Well-heeled customers are spending more per transaction. Further translation: Customer retention for valued customers critical. Spending retention dollars trying to lure cheap customers, financially off-setting.

• 9% Unemployment – I ain’t bragging about this number… except that the market is flooded with qualified talent. When we were last shopping for an employee during 2.5% times, my best applicant would’ve lost at “Are You Smarter Than a Door Knob”. I welcome the talent pool available. Probably time to “better the flock” for all of you.

• Recessions Breed Ingenuity and Efficiency. Good. Saving money, extending access, bumping “reasons to buy” benefits, increasing and rewarding retention… all good. Marginal contractors, those “afraid” to market, those who think “selling” is somehow beneath them will apply for jobs at those who don’t.

• In-home service contracting repair business actually increases – Why? Less elective replacement means more repairs. Pent up demand WILL cause a surge later. I’m no analyst, so no debates please. I’ll ONLY defend the first part of that prediction, which is reason enough to be clamoring for customers now.

Other Examples Of Sales And Marketing Lunacy For 2011

• Trying to say you’re different and better without proving either. Consumers are sick of trying to make your sales case for you. They don’t have time. You’d better be clear, repetitive and focused with your USP.

• Hoping customers will trust you and call you with no indication they should. Amateur ads look like ran them. (Hint: “Amateurs”.) Worn out claims with zero supporting evidence is what everybody else does. Prove the opposite: Use more testimonials than ever, laud your awards, plaster credible logos, boost guarantees. Run amateurs back in the corner. This economy will bring out lots of one-truck fast-buck contractors. If you blend in with them, to your market, you’re one of them. Good luck with that.

• Attempting to be found while playing hide and seek. If you go silent this year “trying to save money” you’ll also save tons of money by keeping your service fleet parked. No one is coming to look for you. I don’t sell media by the way, so I have nothing to gain, but I DO tell you to be excruciatingly smart with your media and marketing buys. (I’m sick of saying it, but “Cluster Control” and other strategies we’ve mentioned for the past several months are working.)

• Thinking you’ll get superior sales results from average performers. Contractors can’t be lazy, can’t accept the “same old same old” can’t expect new results from old methods. Much of this is training. Much also by copying examples of super-successful (such as our interviews in Mega-Marketer Club which many of you say is MORE valuable than my insightful editorials! How dare you!)

• Trying to go it alone. I’m in three marketing coaching groups, pay for various memberships and off-site seminars attempting to get better, stay better. It’s WAY more efficient for me to get the blueprints from others than trying to make ‘em myself. So trying to figure out your own taxes, write your contracts, create marketing strategy, sales boosters, and efficiency tweaks all while you’re trying to run a business is crazy. Ask your Trade Associations for help, check their resource pages. Pick an industry event (or more) where you can learn AND implement strategies to help you out. This alone will distance you from the complainers, the followers, the marginal. Plus, just getting with other successful seekers puts you in an Achiever’s Mindset that you’d never get sitting at your desk.

Those are some things that WILL make for successful contractors in 2011. You will be able to hire some of the best trades-people in the industry this year. Customers – left alone by their former contractor – will be waiting to latch onto professionals. Smart contractors will network with other smart contractors and trainers to get even better. Sounds like emerging opportunity to me. Sounds like a New Year worth celebrating after all.