Positioning for 2010 and Beyond

As we approach the end of the year, I think it’s a safe bet that the great majority of us will not shed any tears over the passing of 2009. It has not been a good year for business by any measurement, as the worldwide economy has bounced along and unemployment has continued its steady rise. Uncertainty is the mantra of the pundits, most of whom refuse to make any profound pronouncements as to the immediate future.

With the above in mind, what plans should our companies be making for 2010?

My advice: Be aggressive and positive, especially with the messages you are sending your employees, as they will be the key to how well and how quickly your bottom line improves as the economy continues to turn the corner toward recovery.

Here are several suggestions that have crossed my mind.

Think long-term. No matter how hard it is to do this, focusing on long-term goals and positioning your marketing and sales efforts to be ready to “pounce” when opportunities arise will be key to how quickly your bottom line will grow.

Invest in market research. Whether you buy it or create it internally, knowing what your current and future customers are thinking and needing will be essential to your efforts—i.e., don’t let your sales and marketing team operate in the dark.

Stop downsizing. Most companies have reduced staff in response to declining sales and manufacturing activity. Stop it! By now your remaining employees are carrying much-larger workloads and handling greater levels of stress. Instead of making more cuts, stop and analyze workloads and stress levels, and relieve them by moving current employees to those spots from areas that have experienced fewer workload increases.

Don’t handcuff your sales staff. When budgets and bottom lines are suffering, the first place number crunchers look in order to adjust the bottom line is marketing. Now is the time to restore those funds and ratchet up the level of noise you are making in the marketplace to “prime the pump” for your sales force. Also, add dollars to your travel and expense budgets. E-mail, voicemail and online promos are great tools, but face-to-face sales calls offer the best opportunity to “close” deals.

Be generous to your people. Times are tight for your companies, but they’re also tight for your employees and their families. You may be very surprised by the positive reaction an end-of-year thank-you check to each employee will get you. It doesn’t have to be big, perhaps enough for a nice dinner for two at an excellent restaurant, or enough to get an extra-special gift for the kids at the holidays.

In the movie “Finding Forrester,” Sean Connery’s character gives the following advice to a love-sick student who is trying to impress a young lady: “unexpected gifts on unexpected occasions.” Good advice!

Here’s wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2010!