the economy

[David Andersen]

You're spot-on, Phil. Welcome to the dance. Keep bringing what you  
know; that's what makes this place the best place like it in the world.
David A.

On Oct 9, 2008, at 6:04 AM, Phil Manning wrote:

> I'm green as a technician. I'm just starting out, in fact, but I'm  
> not green in small business.
>
> Here's a few personal observations...
>
> 1. When times are tough & money is tight, there's a tendency for  
> small business owners to cut back on their marketing budget. I  
> don't think this is wise. In fact I think this is the time to  
> evaluate marketing strategies for effectiveness, to make sure we  
> maintain and even increase our base during the hard times.
>
> 2. In my experience, price shoppers don't have much else to go on,  
> that's why we should take the opportunity to graciously educate  
> them. A little time spent in this area can turn a tire-kicker into  
> a regular. People who ask for price first don't always buy based on  
> price. Often they're unconsciously looking for someone to help them  
> make a good decision with their money. The price question is often  
> just the conversation starter.
>
> 3. I've observed that in tight times people very often adjust their  
> values. For instance, they're more likely to buy a piano rather  
> than upgrade a car, repair an older piano rather than purchase new,  
> budget for tuning & maintaining a piano rather than dinners &  
> movies during the same time period. I use piano examples to suggest  
> how some technicians might have been surprised by steady or  
> increased business during economic downturn.
>
> please forgive me if it seems I've over-simplified the issue
>
> Phil Manning

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