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How to Survive in Volatile Times

Guest post by: Drew Stevens Ph.D.

Article Overview: Learn the art of companies that can survive in any economy and why they are built to last.

How to Survive in Volatile Times

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;} Just the facts. The U.S. economy still has 9.7% unemployed individuals. Consumer spending remains to hit the levels of 2006. Banks are still not lending money freely and employees continue to lose jobs. Additionally, consumer sentiment illustrates that 58% of consumers are unhappy with the economy and politics. Things appear dismal.

For many, business is booming. Aside from products and services sold, successful business leaders are perspicacious to know they are in the marketing business. Consumers are enthralled with those that build cache. Consumers become attracted to those that create value, build relationships and gain trust.

To that end, businesses today must accomplish more to create the differentiation necessary to thwart competitive forces. The requirement is that business leaders must have enough business intelligence to determine their strengths and limitations. Success also requires a realignment of thinking. Business exists for two reasons- customer acquisition and retention. In fact, 93% of most business fails because they lack customer focus. Failing businesses subsist in small offices, with limited budgets, and customers. It is necessary to create strategies that develop this transition.

Successful leaders involve themselves in a process known as MASS© MASS integrates four vital areas of company operations (Marketing, Accounting, Sales and [Customer] Service to create communication channels and messages that deliver clear, consistent and compelling messages that influence and create more customers. To exemplify here are some examples:

· Marketing. Logic makes customers think but emotion makes them act. MASS illustrates the importance of creating integrated messages that focus on value and deliverables to drive emotional decisions.

· Accounting. Your brand is sacred which creates allure, focusing on MASS reduces price sensitivity by focusing on the deliverables and value received by clients.

· Sales. Selling is a systematic act of business. MASS seeks to develop long term relationships via two strategies 1) thinking from the outside in – output and client deliverables and 2) developing lead generation activities “marketing magnetism” to draw prospects into the pipeline.

· Customer Service. MASS uses three principles to draw differentiation from customer to customer influences 1) People – talent is innate and the proper people must be employed to garner customer culture, 2) Processes – simplifying calls, transitions, returns etc, aids in a positive customer experience, 3) Property – service becomes positive with proper aesthetics, empathetic staff and pleasing entryways.

The core of every successful business is the value it creates for customers. Value helps to generate the energy required to hold the business together for its need to acquire and retain clients. Loyalty is inextricably linked to customer value. When consumers feel the value they crave more of it and inform others. The use of customer avatars to create marketing messages helps proliferate the brand at minimal cost. Moreover the constant buzz creates the allure required to assist brand.

Companies can survive or thrive. Successful companies create value. Successful companies attract more clients due the their focus on acquisition and retention. Successful companies thrive in both good and volatile times. Those are the facts!

©2010. Drew Stevens PhD. All Rights Reserved.

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