Another excellent article by Robert Middleton that talks through how to make the most of these tough times. Don't just read it - think about your NA business specifically. There are crew members out there who STILL have just as many (or more) parties than they have ever had even though the economy seems to be down - you can too!

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Marketing in a Tough Economy
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I'm taking a break from my Persuasion Series to discuss an issue
that's on everyone's mind right now. "What is going to happen to
my business if the economy keeps spiraling downwards?"

There's a lot of shocking financial news recently. The two major
mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were just taken
over by the federal government, the brokerage Lehman Brothers
is in bankruptcy, foreclosures are at an all-time high, the stock
market is plummeting and consumer prices are up all around.

Add to that a couple of major hurricanes and the uncertainty of
the presidential elections, and a lot of people are reacting with
fear, uncertainty and hesitation.

Are you finding that your clients are reluctant to pay for
professional services right now? Are contracts not being renewed?
Are referrals drying up?

Perhaps it's not that dire for you right now, but when the
economy tanks, professional service businesses are often hit hard.

Are there specific things you can do to market yourself in a down
economy? Yes there are. Let me share a few with you.

1. Have an actual marketing plan. That is, a plan to carry out
specific marketing activities. Most professionals have no plan at
all. Nothing! We wait for referrals and perhaps call up past clients
to see if the have any work. A plan is a definite strategy
developed for the purpose of connecting with new prospects and
converting them into clients. What's your plan? This will help:

www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html

2. Accelerate and multiply your marketing. Most businesses cut
back on marketing when the economy slows. If you accelerate
your marketing, you will be more visible than ever. You don't
have to do expensive activities, you just need to be out there
more. Networking, speaking, events and teleclasses are all
relatively inexpensive. Get out there, don't hide!

3. Deliver programs, not services. The best way to market and
sell an intangible service is to make it tangible. Don't just sell
"management consulting services." That's too vague. Create
programs that have very defined parameters and promised
outcomes. Sell this program at a fixed price with clear
deliverables and guarantees. Increase your perception of value.

4. Be willing to negotiate. It's always better to sell "something for
less than nothing for more." Your clients are going to be looking
for deals as well as great value. For instance, let them know that
you've re-structured your services so that they will need to invest
less if they are willing to do more of the implementation.

5. Go to the bottom line. All professional services need to be seen
as an investment, not an expense. But that needs to be more
than a cliché. How exactly will your services pay for themselves?
If you can document increases in revenue or decreases in costs,
you'll get the attention of prospects. But you need to prove it. Do
some case studies of past clients showing the bottom-line value of
your work.

6. Work on your mindset. This might be the most important of
all. Negative external circumstances tend to trigger "Constrictive
Marketing Mindsets." That is, you start buying into the bad news
and you start to panic, avoid taking action, and retreat to a place
of worry and paralysis. Question those negative mindsets and find
your place of power and innovation. I invite you to download this
"Getting Unstuck With the Work Worksheet" below:

http://www.actionplan.com/pdf/getunstuck.pdf

These are just a beginning. Above all else, don't stick your head
in the sand and hope the economy will change. Things may get
worse before they get better, and those who are proactive about
their marketing (and their thinking) will do better in both good
times and bad.

*

The More Clients bottom line: The key to marketing in tough
times is to work at adding more value. Prove that your services
are a wise investment. Communicate about your services in more
depth and with more clarity. These are things you should be
doing anyway, but when the economy is suffering, these
marketing approaches are more important than ever.

By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert's web site at www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses.