Delivering Pizzas in a Mercedes
I went to pick up a couple pizzas for dinner on Monday.
In the parking lot there were a few delivery cars with the Domino’s magnetic signs on top.
But one of the cars stood out from the others. It was a Mercedes. Recent model year. Good condition.
Has it really come to this? Delivering pizzas to make ends meet?
I realize some people are still doing fine. But the more I study, the more I observe, the more I listen… the more it seems the economic foundations of America are eroding away.
The middle class and even the upper-middle class are struggling to make ends meet.
Lost jobs… business slow-downs… growing accounts receivable that is 45-90 days past due… all of this and more are contributing to financial problems across the U.S.
And it doesn’t seem isolated to any one particular industry, market, or region.
When Wal-Mart reported second quarter results in August, CEO Mike Duke said:
I’ve recently observed several consumer focus groups, and it’s clear that many consumers are still struggling. They’re trading down to stretch their budgets, buying a lower-priced brand of detergent, moving from branded canned goods to private label and purchasing half gallons of milk instead of gallons.
As we roll toward November, Americans are riding a tsunami of pent-up emotion.
Each side is convinced things will get better if only their candidate wins.
Somehow I’m not so sure.
If the foundations are rotten, what can the man at the top do about it?
Anyway, as we head into the holiday season and see the unknown expanse of a new year just around the corner, it will be more important than ever to have a solid grasp of your sales and marketing processes. (I say that as much for your benefit as for mine.)
Be ready to change as the market changes.
Be ready to shut down poorly performing products/divisions and enter new markets.
Be ready to deal with an increasingly challenging market — and if economic conditions unexpectedly improve, you’ll be well-positioned to gobble up your competitors and grow your business fast.
-Ryan M. Healy
P.S. The ability to sell in print is an evergreen skill, equally applicable in good times and bad.
Brush up here: http://clickora.com/CopywritingCode
