Tightening the belt.

Cutting the fat.

Battening down the hatches.

Any way you put it, our nation has been trying to survive this stormy time and come out on the other side with a semblance of self-respect left.  Now, it is hard enough for the average person to survive right now just putting in the hours at the office and hoping not to make anyone mad enough to get put on the next layoff list.  But, for those of us who own our businesses, this time can be downright dangerous and incredibly taxing on us.

So, how can we still continue to market when we are merely trying to survive to the next electric bill or mortgage payment?  Is it even possible?  Should we do what everyone else seems to be doing and just duck into the nearest foxhole until 2010?  After all, the best offense is a good defense, right?  Well, I am here to say that is not always the case, and especially not right now.  Now is the time to go on the offense.

Think of it like this.  In the past almost every business out there was doing marketing.  Which means that for every postcard you sent out, your customer was probably receiving another 25 from various companies in the area, some your direct competitors and some in other industries.  But all competing for your customer’s time, money, and energy.  It was very easy to get lost in all of the noise.

But now?  Well, now people are doing away with marketing all together.  I have had so many people tell me, “We have decided that we can’t afford to do any marketing right now.  Please get back to us in 2010.”  I really wanted to grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them.  Tell them that they were actually doing the exact opposite of what they should be doing.  But honestly, it wasn’t worth my energy.  Those types of people won’t make good customers anyway, because they will bail at the first sign of trouble.

So, if all of these people are doing away with marketing you should do the same, right?  NO!  If your friends told you to jump off a bridge would you do that, too?

Ok, seriously, though.  How can you afford to market in this economy?  You go where you can make the most money.  That means you must, I mean MUST look at your list.  If you are going to cut the fat, this is where you should be doing it.  Which customers are costing you more money than they are bringing you?  This could be in product, service calls, energy, time, etc.  You know the ones that I’m talking about.  For every $20 worth of product or service you sell them you are spending 3-4 hours on the phone or email with them trying to explain how to use it and how not to use it.  If you only make $10 an hour, which I hope is not the case, you are already $20 in the hole with them.  So get rid of them.  You can’t afford to keep them.

Next, look at who is bringing you the most money.  This could be through direct purchases or through referrals.  Either way, these are the ones that you can’t afford to lose.  These are the people you are going to spend extra to keep.  Make these people feel like the gold they are, without seeming desperate.  Thank you cards, touching base emails, phone calls to mention the new dress shipment you got in that is just their style…and by the way you saved back their size.  And then when they do purchase or refer again, show them just how much you appreciate them again.  A night out for two.  Flowers to their wife on their behalf.   Food of some sort (one of my favorites).  You get the picture.

Now, I know what you are saying, “But I can’t afford that!”  Let me tell you something.  You can’t afford not to.  Because as I’ve said before, someone is courting your customer besides you and if you want to be the one with the date to the dance you had better step it up.

Let me also state one other thing.  If you cannot afford to “market” and you are losing money then let me say this.  It isn’t being done correctly.  Marketing should be a trackable, quantifiable, activity that produces a positive return on investment.