If the press is to be believed this next year is likely to be one where credit is difficult to find, the house market will stagnate, food and oil costs will rise sharply as will demands for pay increases and an increase in industrial conflict. The result will be a fall in sales. Coupled with this will be further business costs attached to increases in employee rights.

There are many strategies to cope with such pressures and save money. One that tends to be an early adoption is to reduce the staff team and/or delay the replacement of staff that leave. Sometimes this is just reducing the fat that was built up in better times but too drastic a policy can lead to an extended recovery process.

There are certain tactics that can be planned that can increase the chances of a fast recovery. These include:

1. During a downturn sales become even more vital. Identify salespeople from outside your business that would be an asset to maintaining or increasing sales and identify their current and future availability. Make your telephone number available to them in the event they need a job

2. Identify new technology that will reduce administration time or costs, review it (vigorously) and install whilst there is the budget available.

3. Review work processes (to reduce bottlenecks) and systems that reduce customer contact time (particularly for the sales team).

4. Review targets and sales expectations and design tactics to cope with a downturn.
   

A strategy for survival through a time of pressure is a poor one unless it looks at a fast recovery.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm and is filed under Recruitment, Sales relationships.