24 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Business

Robin Robins, author of the Technology Marketing Toolkit, has 12 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Business and 12 More. Here are some of hers and some of mine.

1. "Communicate with your existing clients MORE – offering them more services, more products, and reminding them of all the things you can do for them."
2. Sell with FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt)
3. The magic of 7 touches (or more) in sales
4. Referrals and Testimonials
5. Co-marketing with your vendors or partners
6. Financing, payment terms = make it easy to buy from you (although nothing is easier than a credit card or maybe working with AMEX or BillMeLater or PayPal)
7. Teach: "Hold free, educational teleseminars, webinars, and seminars."
8. Partner with local charities to do fundraisers and events. (Cause Marketing)
9. Upsell and Cross-sell.
10. Network. Network. Network.
11. "Offer an incentive to ALL employees (not just the sales and marketing folks) for bringing in new clients or finding new sales opportunities."
12. Target your marketing to highly qualified prospects with high-margin services.
13. Stay in touch weekly with your Top 5 Customers.

"Take massive action, and don’t do things just because they are easy, cheap, and convenient. Now, more than ever, you have to get out of the “magic pill” mindset, roll up your sleeves, and go to work." In other words: Revenue Generating Activities only. Not just Customer Acquisition, but Customer Retention.