A Few New Statistics From Careerbuilder.com:

17 Minutes - The average amount of time it takes for a worker interrupted by E-mail to get back to work.

 

10 Percent - The increase in stress felt by the average person who is given a promotion.

 

1 in 10 - The ratio of workers who have started snacking during office hours due to stress caused by the difficult economy.

 

What does this all mean? Maybe we should devote some of our energy and time towards slowing down and simplifying. It's not easy but it may be worth the effort. As noted above, are we able to discover the hidden beauty of winter?

Crafting Your "Save Money" Pitch

To really get the attention of a company in a recession you need to sell your product as one that will either make money or save money. One client told me that they had frozen capital budgets going into next year but that they would always make time to hear proposals that could save or make them money.

 

The temptation is just to lower your prices. But you need to succeed in the recession as well. A better approach is to reposition your product as a money saver. Some products are naturals for this. For them, positioning for selling in a recession is done. Simply remind people there is a recession and present the product.

 

But most products need more creativity to position them as a money saver. Often this is done by packaging the product with other products or services so together they achieve a result. It is that result that affects the money.

 

For example, one small business partnered with two other companies to offer a total system that could eliminate two costly steps in an installation process. The result of skipping those two steps saved the client money. In another market where diagnostics were needed on an ongoing basis, a company started offering free diagnostics as part of their sales package. As a result of not having to pay for diagnostic tests, the buyer saved money.

 

Take a step back and ask if your product can be combined through a partnership or expanded to achieve one of the following results:

• Add efficiency
• Redefine work-flow
• Eliminate jobs
• Save time
• Consolidate buying volume
• Eliminate duplication
• Out place or out source
• Leverage "off the shelf" products or technology
• Leverage the Internet
• Automate routine procedures
• Simplify procedures
• Eliminate paper work

If you can attach the purchase of your product to a result that saves your client money, you are on your way to making a recession sale.

Are You Ready To Shuffle The Deck?

A study done by consulting firm Bain & Company found that more than a fifth of companies in the bottom quartile in their industries jumped to the top quartile during the last recession. Meanwhile, more than a fifth of all "leadership companies" - those in the top quartile of financial performance in their industry - fell to the bottom quartile.

 

This makes the case that recessions, while hard on companies, also provide a window of opportunity to move ahead of the competition. According to the study, "Only half as many companies made such dramatic gains or losses before or after the recession."

 

Arrow Electronics (Melville, N.Y.) offers a striking example of trading places when times are tough. "During an industry downturn in the late 1980s, the financially troubled distributor of electronic components and computer products launched a series of audacious but smart acquisitions that allowed it to increase sales by more than 500%, turn operating losses into profits, and seize market leadership from competitor Avnet (Phoenix, Ariz.), which was once twice Arrow's size. During the recent recession, Arrow has been acquiring again and widening its industry lead."

 

How companies manage themselves during a recession often sets the competitive landscape for years to come after the recession is over.

There's no time like a recession to promote and save. The best promotional products can be purchased for less and there's a better chance they will help separate you from the competition.

 

Instead of simply offering imprinted promotional products, Metcom begins with a consultative, goal oriented approach. Whether it's a one-time event, an on-going program or the development of an on-line company store, our promotional products are the necessary tools used to accomplish your specific goals.

 

Click the link below for your promotional edge!

Inspiring Promotional Products!

Your Own Online Store?

You don't have to be a major university in order to offer your branded merchandise online. With our unique company store program, you can offer employee incentives while cutting costs and generating additional revenue.

 

Link (below), to our company store demo and imagine the possibilities!

 

Visit Metstore