Putting aside whether we’re actually in a recession, or not, I think it’s safe to say that the “R” word is on everyone’s mind.
Given that I’m in sales, and I haven’t had anyone tell me that “I’m not buying because I can’t get a bank to give me a new credit card.” Or “I’m not buying because I don’t think anyone will buy my services in this economy – no matter how many leads I generate,” I think it’s probably safe to say that the economy is not affecting many of us.
At the top, the economy is certainly showing signs of struggling – with bank failures, proportionally higher job losses, state budget shortfalls, etc. And this could certainly trickle down. Coincidence or not, we all are certainly paying more for food, gas and oil. So, this post is not meant to belittle hardships others are facing.
But, I do believe that we can get ourselves out of this mess by basically stepping on the gas pedal of innovation and doubling down on our respective career and businesses’ growth strategies. And not doing anything or retreating from our strategies because we “fear” it could get worse, would be disastrous for each of us individually, the businesses we manage and the economy collectively.
One of the areas where many companies are innovating is their internet marketing strategy. “R” word or not, many companies are investing significantly in inbound marketing strategies. They are publishing their way into thought leadership positions. They are networking their way into sales opportunities. They are redesigning their websites as lead capture machines and leveraging analytics technologies to improve sales efficiencies. These companies are innovating their sales and marketing processes and most importantly, finding ways that sales and marketing can work together to grow their business quicker and more profitably. More