If you sell to the 21 – 39 age group then a recent study by the Zandl Group might give you some interesting perspectives on what you need to focus on.

Do It Yourself Culture:

Consumers are increasingly adopting a do-it-yourself mentality to save money. This can be seen in shifts in:

• Cooking v Eating Out
• Bringing their own lunches to work
• Making coffee at home V Starbucks
• Doing their own home repairs V Bringing experts
• Seeking out cheaper, more underground, original entertainment venues

Online Barter:

Consumers are looking to the following sites for financial relief.

• Craigslist to sell/buy/barter
• Ebay to sell/buy/barter
• Paperbackswap.com to exchange books
• Couchsurfing.com for free accommodation – worldwide

Stay in touch  with the trends if you want your business to be a success for 2010 and beyond……… if you don’t know where to start then try http://www.trendhunter.com/

We are faced with uncertain times and many people are  fearing the worse about their ability to sell their products and services in his recession. It may not be easy but there are some proven ways that, if you work smart, will guide you in the right direction.

One of the key areas that I have worked with sales teams over the last few years is the ability to develop their ‘emotional’ skills in selling.  No – this is not about removing their own emotions to overcome their fear of rejection. It is about developing the ability to appeal to the emotional needs of the potential buyer – whether they are selling to business or consumers.

When selling in a recession this is more important than ever. Especially if you are selling to consumers. Consumers are proven to be seeking out confidence and escapism. Businesses tend to seek out products and services that they have confidence in and gives them confidence for the future.

Think what this means to you?

How can you inspire confidence and appeal to the desire for escapism with your products and services. In my sales training business I have seen an increase in the number of enquiries from ‘stressed’ sales people and sale managers. They need things that will give them confidence in themselves, their products and services and they are also looking for confidence in the people they turn to help them through this period.

Beware: If you are a sales manager or a small business owner beware of your staff and your own desire for escapism. The desire for escapism to get away from the stress of the current climate can blind you to what you need to be concentrating on. Focus on the hard reality. Ensure your value proposition is sound, ensure you can develop confidence, be a master of your sales metrics and focus on what you know works. Don’t settle for the short term emotional ‘hit’ that can come from your desire for escapism. Things to watch out for in your team and for you are:

• Increasing contact with ‘friendly’ prospective clients that have no intention of buying
• Spending too much time with existing ‘friendly’ clients who have no requirement for you to add value
• Short term activities such as ‘tidying the desk’, catching up on paperwork, – anything that keeps you away from business generation

Make sure you benefit and do not suffer from the recessionary desire for escapism and confidence. If you want to know what sells in a recession look at my blog or my articles on this site  because in part 2 I will give a run down on three key areas proven to sell  in times of a recession.

See you then……