The economy is falling. The economy is falling.

The economy is falling. The economy is falling.

Written By Jeffrey Gitomer
@GITOMER

KING OF SALES, The author of seventeen best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His live coaching program, Sales Mastery, is available at gitomer.me.

Theeconomy is falling. The economy is falling.

It must be true. It’sall over the news. The economy is in BIG trouble. Stocks, mortgages,banks, insurance companies, the Yankees. All falling or failing.

Falling from where? Thebiggest economic boom of all time? The biggest housing boom of alltime? The easiest loan requirements of all time?

Business is not down,it’s different.

For example, when youhear the negative statistic on the news that home sales are down 33%,it actually means that FIVE MILLION homes will be sold thisyear. The only unanswered question is: Who will get that business?The media portrays gloom when actually there’s still PLENTY ofopportunity – just not as much as before.

It’s important to remember that even in a slower market, homes are still being bought and sold every day. The real difference lies in who adapts and makes the most of the available opportunities. Sellers willing to adjust to the new landscape are the ones who can still come out on top. It’s about understanding what buyers are looking for now, and how you can meet those needs in a way that’s efficient and hassle-free.

One great way to do this is by considering alternative routes like selling to a home buying company near me. Cash buyers are still very much active in the market, and these companies often offer a straightforward solution for those who want a quick sale without the usual complexities. The advantage of working with cash buyers is that you don’t have to wait for financing to come through, and often, the home can be sold as-is, meaning fewer headaches with repairs and showings.

When you align with a company that specializes in cash buying, you’re tapping into a still-vibrant part of the market that understands the value of efficiency, especially when traditional listings may be taking longer to close. The bottom line is that even in a market that may be statistically down, there are still plenty of avenues to successfully sell your home—you just need to know where to look.

The low hanging fruitof two years ago is now much higher in the trees.

There’s plenty ofbusiness in the marketplace – just not as much as there was duringwhat was the biggest housing and economic boom of all time. As aresult, businesses are adjusting to current market conditions, andyour company is no exception.

Less people are neededand lower inventory quantities are required. Layoffs are tough – nocompany leader wants to lay off anyone – there is emotion becauselayoffs involve coworkers and their families. Attitudes are affectedand morale is affected – it’s human nature. You will hear thewords: cutback, save, fewer, less, and “because of the economy”more often than you want. That’s part of what goes along with anyeconomic change.

How’s business withyou? Flat? Dipping a bit? When will it begin to get better?

Since no one canpredict the future, and the economic growth or slowdown answers arenot yet apparent, senior management must react to present-daysituations.

In times like this,leadership must do what they believe is in the best long-terminterest of the company. In short – leaders are doing theirbest – and they expect the same from you. You canhelp by doing your best every day. Adjust to whateverdecisions are made without reducing your level of service to yourcustomers, your loyalty to your company and your fellow workers, andyour effort or belief.

But cutting expenses orlaying people off is not the only answer – it’s just a safeguardand a response to the situation at hand. The best answer is moresales… and more profit. This is where you canhelp.

Below are 8.5critical elements in your ability to help your company and yourselfin these times. These 8.5 elements, when combined and mastered, willgain more sales now, and keep your customersloyal as the economic conditions begin toimprove.
1. Ease of doingbusiness with you. The availability of people and product. Havemore web offerings, easy access to more people, less voicemail, lessautomated attendants, more human-to-human contact, and no excuses.Get me what I need, when I need it.
2. Error-free orderprocessing. When I get an invoice, the easier it is to understandand the more correct it is, the faster I pay it. No backorders. Nosurprises.
3. The quality ofyour relationships with customers. How strong are yourrelationships? Are they transactional or interpersonal?
4. Serviceexcellence. You’d think this was a given, but often slowertimes means slower service. Less people, more work. BIG mistake. BESTPRACTICE: Double service offerings.
5. Your attitude.The way you dedicate yourself to the way you think. If you can’t bepositive for yourself, you can never be positive with and for others- both coworkers and customers.
6. Your belief.Belief in your company, your product, your service, yourself, ANDbelief that the customer is better off having purchased from you.
7. Your loyalty.The best way to get loyalty is to GIVE loyalty. From bosses toemployees, from employees to customers, and finally from customersback to you, loyalty is the profit frontier. In these times, givingwon’t always breed receiving – but the seed is planted and theroots are deep when the economy begins to rebound.
8. Helping yourcustomer whenever possible. Understanding how they are hurting,and meeting their needs as BEST you can. Offering to assist withanything from manual labor to unparalleled service – frombrainstorming ideas with them to making connections for them.
8.5 Your extra mile.What are you doing above and beyond the ordinary? What are you doingto out sell, out serve, and out value the competition? What’smemorable about you and the actions you take on behalf of others? Areyou going the extra mile for your customers?

There are otherpersonal measures that can be added to this list. Friendliness forone. Being proactive for another. But I think this piece speaks loudand clear. If the economy is down, you have to be up. You have to beready to help, ready to serve, and ready to be your best. This willnot only help others to survive, it will also ensure that you thrive.

I have one morepowerful strategy to beat the crunch. If you want it, go towww.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enterthe word ECONOMY in the GitBit box.