Growing Sales in a Declining Market

The world is experiencing an economic contraction unlike anything most people in business today have ever experienced. The market conditions will have an impact on your customers' business and thus will have an impact on your business. Successful companies will understand this change in 'business as usual' and implement strategies that get back to basics and support their customers' needs to deliver a return on their investments (your products and services).

Your sales and marketing strategy needs to illustrate how your widgets will save them money, generate more business or enhance their value proposition to their customers. This boils down to selling your product based upon what return your customers will gain versus selling against the customers budget. Yes, in some cases, price will be a factor, but in reality price is only an issue if the perceived value is lower than the cost.

Differentiating your product/service package from your competitors will help avoid reverse auctions and price wars. If your competitors take the short cut of growing (or keeping) their customer base through lowering prices, it is paramount that your strategy focus on the differentiating benefits that deliver superior value to the customer. You get what you pay for. If you are going to be the high price leader you need to provide the highest return for the customers investment.

Differentiating your deliverable and focusing on the customers' return on investment will position your sales organization to continue to grow sales and maintain your margin. Each sale is won locally especially in a contracting global economy.