Monday, March 17, 2008

Prospecting and Patience in Economic Downturns

As a small business owner, you may be tempted to be conservative with your marketing and advertising in today’s economy. Joan Koerber-Walker, chief executive of the Arizona Small Business Association, seems to agree. In an East Valley Tribune article on Saturday, she states, “Cutting . . . advertising and marketing expenses are often what come to mind first, but that can make it difficult to find new customers and new markets precisely when they’re needed most.”

But, especially if you’re selling services, the best thing you can do is stay top of mind for prospects and trust that, when the need emerges, you’ll be the one they call. So most importantly, make sure you’re doing whatever you can to solidify your offerings and educate your target market about them. This might include networking events such as the Phoenix Business Journal’s BizMix, ASBA’s networking events, and any industry-specific events.

P.S. The next issue of my quarterly newsletter will feature a list of services. If you’re a small business in need of marketing assistance, please ask! If I can’t help you personally, I can identify someone in my network who can!

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