Where and How Do You Sell in a Down Economy? – Part II
Posted on Thu, Sep 08, 2011 @ 10:24 AM
How tight markets can be good for those who are savvy in services
So let’s continue the investigation of where to find opportunities in the market by looking at another potential indicator … employment growth.
While Moody’s Economy.com projects an overall growth rate of just 1.5% in employment for 2011, there are sectors that are projected to form the leading edge of the upward curve.
The hottest sectors are Mining, Professional Services, Leisure & Lodging, Healthcare, and Education. You’ll notice here that Lodging tops the list of largest construction decline and yet is high on the list for job growth. In this case you won’t find new construction, but you may find more security opportunities generated by a growing work-force.
The moral of the story is simply that as times change, your targets move and you must adjust your tactics to match the opportunities that exist. This probably includes adjusting your sales targets and even the way that you sell. In a down economy, cash is king and customers are probably less interested in capital expenditures. What a great time to be providing leased systems, managed services, and any product that helps your customer avoid capital expenses or lower their overall cost of doing business.
It reminds me of the final scene in the movie “Tin Men” about two guys selling aluminum siding during 1963 in Baltimore. As the two lead characters walk off into the sunset lamenting the lack economic opportunities, you see a VW bug pass by and a McDonald’s sign being hoisted in the air.
To quote Winston Churchill ….
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity.
An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.
For me this economy looks like an opportunity.
- John Szczygiel