So, there’s a recession on. Are you participating? Did you even know participation was voluntary?
No one is naive enough to think the economy isn’t hurting. Your business might be, too, in very real terms, and maybe to some degree that’s unavoidable. But there’s one thing you can avoid, and that’s the doom and gloom.
At least that’s the message I got at the Pumper & Cleaner Expo in February when I spoke to James Taylor, a sales and service manager with Footage Tools of Toronto, Ontario, a maker of tools for horizontal directional drilling and other trenchless technologies. He said his company is “not participating.”
I later spoke with his company’s president, Dan Ferguson, who expounded on an approach he’s trying to foster in his business – and that you might considering apply in your own.
Rally around
“Attitude is huge,” says Fer-guson. “It’s what gets you up in the morning. I’m a firm believer that if you go to work with a positive attitude and conduct yourself that way, good things will come as a result.
“That’s the philosophy we have adopted about how we run our business and how we treat customers and treat our co-workers. It’s even more important when times are difficult that everyone rallies and does their best to keep a positive attitude.
“We have chosen to carry on business as we always have,” Ferguson says. “Often, people spend way too much time dwelling on the negative aspects of what is happening in the market and waiting for the next shoe to drop. We hold the opinion that there’s a lot of opportunity out there, and it’s everywhere, if you know where to look.”
Productive energy
Fine, some may say. But business is slow. Attitude won’t wake up dormant customers. It won’t make them spend money they don’t have.
All right then. Go to work on improving your business from the inside. “We certainly are not blind to what’s happening,” says Ferguson. “This is a good time to look inward. We’re doing everything we can to deploy best business practices and find cost reductions. That’s an ongoing effort, but awareness of it is heightened now.
“In the current economy, your employees see what’s going on around them,” Ferguson says. “They’re keenly aware that people in other companies are less fortunate.” So get them engaged, he urges. Seeing how the market is behaving, they may come to work with a greater sense of urgency. With a little encouragement, you can turn that into enthusiasm that helps propel your business ahead.
Beyond that, if your customers are hesitant, reach out to them in new ways with promotions and with strategies that add value. And look for new customers, too, even outside your comfort zone. “You might find markets that you had considered fringe in the past, but now are worth a closer look,” Ferguson says.
Let it show
Finally, now is the time to direct positive energy outward. “Everybody is responsible for projecting a good image,” Ferguson says. “Regardless of their role within the business, everybody is in sales. Anyone who has an opportunity to see a customer, whether on a visit to your facility or an encounter outside the company, that person is in the sales department.
“That approach brings enthusiasm. It’s infectious, and if you carry that positive attitude with you, good things happen. People want to do business with people who are positive. If we can all learn to keep a positive attitude and look for the positives in doing business today, we will all be rewarded for it.”
So, what’s your choice? How about deciding now not to be part of the recession? Suppose you were to make yourself a sign that says: “Not Participating.” Hang it up someplace where you’ll see it every day. Then live as if you meant it.
There may be reasons for pessimism – but in the end, what good has that ever done anyone? Things will turn around. No one knows when, but they will. With the right outlook, you can start your own turnaround today.
