Jaki Gaudet

To make our money stretch further, we are taking staycations, clipping coupons, shopping around for a better cell phone plan, and even switching to Geiko! A "savers" mentality can go a long way. But what about businesses? They are also doing things differently to offset the financial burden.

Businesses have a set of key components to make the New Normal more comfortable. The key components I’ve noticed colleagues and partners focus on are communication, sales, and product:

Communication: The past decade has paved the way for new methods of engaging clients and prospects in a way that can also give us unfiltered feedback and instant communication. We, as business professionals, need to find the right balance and medium and continue spreading our message. It could be through Facebook, Twitter, Web development, Blogs, Google or Yahoo Groups, an integrated marketing communications campaign, or all of the above.
 

Sales: A solid and working sales method must contain a team of strong advocates. Sales teams need to understand how the landscape has changed and be given tools to increase local lead generation and ultimately, success. We also can’t forget about the retention process that must occur after the sale is made; companies are recognizing this and we’re seeing a new title and position because of it -- Client Success Manager.

Product: You must believe in your product and be willing to use it yourself. Take a good look at what you are offering and see what services need to be tweaked or replaced to give your company an advantage.

The ”new normal” is how we should be thinking and operating our business no matter how good or bad the market is. Some of us may have lost sight of our key components for awhile and although yours might vary, be sure to make the adjustments as needed for continued success.

What is your company, or family, doing differently to save and improve success?