How To Sell When Nobody's Buying

(And How to Sell Even More When They Are)

Wiley, 2009

15 min read

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How to sell effectively during a recession; believe it or not, people do buy during economic slumps.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures, and, when it comes to selling during an economic downturn, the survival of your firm may depend on taking some radical, assertive action. Speaker, author and trainer Dave Lakhani contends that old-time sales techniques are no longer appropriate. He recommends alternative, innovative selling approaches, including some gutsy – though perhaps clichéd – ploys. Alas, the book is sometimes banal (“The best time to sell more is when people are buying”) and very self-referential, and customers may perceive a few of its sales tactics as overly pushy. Nevertheless, getAbstract finds that Lakhani provides interesting recommendations and numerous valuable web resources for salespeople who want to establish or embellish their personal brands, connect with prospects and operate more efficiently. These pointers make the book a worthwhile addition to any sales professional’s library.

Summary

Not Selling? Better Change Your Approach

An economic cycle has four phases: “expansion, prosperity, contraction” and “recession.” Selling during growth and boom phases is easy. Everyone jumps aboard the sales train and enjoys the party. But selling during contractions and recessions can be a struggle. Conventional sales techniques that worked well during the good times will not succeed in a recession. Thus, many salespeople who continue to use their tried-and-tested sales methods may believe that “nobody’s buying” and decide to quit the field. However, economic downturns offer “entrepreneurial salespeople” a golden opportunity. Industrious sellers can fill the sales vacuum other vendors leave behind. These survivors must ask themselves simply, “What else is there that we could be doing that everyone else is not doing?” Perform some “high-value, high-impact actions” to jump-start your sales. Follow this five-day plan to gain momentum:

Day one – Contact 25 inactive clients. Get them to work with you again. If they have grievances with your firm, assign someone to resolve them. Phone 10 active clients. Offer to sell them a product or service upgrade. Contact...

About the Author

Dave Lakhani, a sales trainer, entrepreneur and speaker, is president of a public relations and marketing firm.

Dave Lakhani

How To Sell When Nobody's Buying

(And How to Sell Even More When They Are)

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Not Selling? Better Change Your Approach

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