In terms of presentation are you familiar with CPM, TMI and UVP and how it can help you during a recession.

1. Two Choices…

2. White Paper: Marketing and Business Development Strategies During a Recession A brief note on the nature of this white paper… This is not the traditional white paper, requiring several hours curled up in front of the fireplace to figure out the message. After all, I own a presentation development company. So, in addition to the research and information, you may run across metaphorical imagery, or stumble on some visual graphics. Please excuse our indulgence, and enjoy. Jon T. Newsome Managing Partner Presentation Partners www. presentation partners .com Are you familiar with CPM, TMI, and UVP and how it can help you now?

3. Two Choices…

5. HISTORY OF RECESSIONS Since WWII Recessions have lasted an average of 10 months, some longer, some shorter. But no recession stayed forever. Preston Henske for Bain & Company wrote of a study involving 288 Fortune 500 companies that endured the previous U.S. recession. The study showed that the stock prices of companies that dismissed more than 3% of their workforce performed no better over a three year period than companies that made smaller cuts or none at all.

6. WHO COMES OUT OF RECESSIONS Can you start a business during a recession? If the answer is yes (we will prove that momentarily) then those who already have a business should be ahead of the game…if they are taking a sensible approach. A list of companies that started during recessions: Fedex Microsoft 1973-1975 recession 1980-1981 recession 1957-1958 recession CNN MTV Hyatt IHOP

7. SIX SIMPLE STRATEGIES WHAT YOU CAN DO

8. WHAT YOU CAN DO Sharpen the saw Take a look around your business for the extraneous. When you were in high cotton you probably had the sense that there were still some things that needed to be fixed. Now is the time to sharpen the saw and address those needs. Perhaps it’s your core strategy, or your web site structure. The point is to address these needs now so you are in a strong position coming out of the recession. Refine market position Seek help on this matter from the best source possible, clients and prospects . Ask them about their challenges. How well do your services or products meet those challenges? Do this frequently, and listen carefully. Gather the information formally or informally depending on your organization structure and size. Make it your marketing goal to come out of the recession ahead of the competition with aggressive target marketing.

9. WHAT YOU CAN DO Maintain marketing spend “ This is not the time to cut advertising” says professor John Quelch from the Harvard Business School. It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at a lower cost than during good economic times. More consumers at home watching television can deliver higher than expected audiences at lower cost-per-thousand impressions. Brands with deep pockets may be able to negotiate favorable advertising rates and lock them for the next several years. If you have to cut marketing spending, try to maintain the frequency of advertisements by shifting from 30-second to 15-second advertisements, substituting radio for television advertising, or increasing the use of direct marketing, which gives more immediate sales impact.

10. WHAT YOU CAN DO Maintain marketing spend You can fine tune your marketing budget further by target marketing with a well developed unique value proposition (UVP). Incorporate this into everything you say and do. Most importantly, get in front of your clients and make a personal connection. Tell your story with a powerful presentation that provides solutions to real client challenges. Companies can also shift a portion of their mass marketing budget. Don’t reduce the budget, just reallocate some of the budget to focus on target marketing, such as a one on one appointment with a Power Message. “Create Power Message” – CPM, is powerful because it provides a way to lower expenses, increase efficiencies, or develop new net revenues in the short term.

11. WHAT YOU CAN DO Refocus on Training, Coaching, etc. Consider whether your sales or marketing staff has a powerful consultative skill set; and a clear, effective process for turning a prospect into a client. During a recession your sales rejection rate will be higher. This is the time to invest in additional training, perhaps from outside sources. Experienced training organizations can rejuvenate your teams’ skills, ranging from the sales process to interpersonal communication. A tough economy requires a clear, compelling message. Don’t assume that a great product can seal the deal by itself.

12. WHAT YOU CAN DO Make better presentations An article written by Joel Fufari of the Gwinnett Business Journal titled “Crunch Time” listed15 topics to help your business survive during a recession. One of those topics was to improve your presentation. When the economy is coasting along and it seems you have more customers than hours in the day, it can be easy to select a formula ( or auto-content wizard…gasp ) for presentations and just go with it. Those boring old PowerPoint presentations get stale, though. These days you need to stand out. Customers have more power now and impressing potential clients with a fresh and well-thought out presentation is a must.

13. WHAT YOU CAN DO Use business development savvy Dave Kurlan, speaker, author, and sales development expert wrote on his blog, “Business is still being conducted, and even in companies where there are spending freezes, they are still making purchases. How much of what your sales people are hearing are convenient easy excuses, something your prospects hope your sales people will understand and buy into? How many of these stalls, put-offs and objections can be overcome with more effective sales processes, better strategies and more powerful tactics? Evaluate your business development staff now, there isn’t a better time to do it.”

14. Two Choices… which choice is for you? www. presentation partners .com We can help your company with many image improving capabilities like CPM, UVP, and TMI: C REATE P OWER M ESSAGES – CPM – develop your power statements U NIQUE V ALUE P ROPOSITION – UVP – unique value to target audience T ARGET M ARKET I NTERACTION – TMI – power presentations tell great stories 888.614.5310