I know I am not alone when I say that a good marketing and sales person needs to step up marketing efforts rather than retreat in these tough economic times.  Without sounding polyannish, I believe the rewards will multiply when the economy eventually turns around .  .  .  and history shows that it will.

Here are some of my tips for these challenging days:

 1) Try something new.  For example, I have been researching the social media network of Twitter for awhile now, and I recently took the plunge.  (Follow me at www.Twitter.com/DRMediaSolution )  I am still getting the hang of it, but it’s certainly an interesting dynamic, and I believe one that has great potential.

2) Along the same lines, add a new networking forum to your activities.  The effort alone will make you feel better.  I’ve recently joined the DC Ad Club http://www.dcadclub.com/ & the Capital Communicators Group http://capitalcommunicatorsgroup.blogspot.com/

3) At such events, make a special effort to remember people’s names.  This is always a great skill to develop, but with everyone being “uptight” these days, a personal recognition can make a lasting impression.   You may have seen my recent blog on this topic that includes some helpful tips:  http://tinyurl.com/cuvcla

4) I like this tip that I recently read in the trade magazine SCN . . . http://tinyurl.com/bk8jhn   Have you evaluated how much your existing clients are utilizing  your full spectrum of services?  For example, we now offer both SD and HD captioning now.  I recently realized that some of my clients for whom we provide HD duplication services were unaware of that.

5) Make “Understanding your Client,” more than a casual effort.  My brother reminded me of that recently.  He too is in sales and marketing (asphalt related business).  I told him in passing about a company I was interested in contacting, and within a few days, after doing 45-min or so of research on the internet, he presented me with an excellent overall understanding of the company’s business goals and modus operandi.  (yeah, that’s what brothers are for, help each other, right?)  No secret here, he just diligently took advantage of material that is publicly available on the internet . . . and used his business experience to connect a number of dots.  His information definitely allowed me to fine-tune my approach to the propsective customer.

6) Finally, don’t forget my mantra from marketing specialist Robet Middleton . . . Keep your marketing FUN!  http://tinyurl.com/c6qug2

I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Contact David Ryan at 301-217-0000 x104 or dryan@videolabs.net