Continuing sales efforts take care of the natural ebb and flow of clients and keep your business going in any economy. In a recession, however, you need to increase market share, just to maintain your business — never mind grow it. Coordinating sales with advertising and public relations creates more opportunities in a more cost-effective way than sales alone and can even change the direction of your company. Research shows that advertising in a down economy will increase your profits now and up to 3 years into the future. In addition, media sales and prices go down while advertiser visibility goes up. So, it makes more sense to advertise now, than ever before.

“The fact is, companies that maintain or increase their advertising spending during recessions get ahead. A less crowded field allows messages to be seen more clearly, and that increased visibility results in higher sales both during and after a recession.”
The Wall Street Journal

“Increasing advertising during a recession contributes to financial performance for up to
three years in the future.”
Marketing Science Institute

You can get large, high-dollar clients or add small, fast turn-around projects to boost cash flow. Move away from unprofitable clients. Launch a supporting product line or an additional service. It’s easier and more budget-friendly than you may suppose when you combine sales, PR and marketing.

We all tend to retract when we face adversity. Too often, the first thing businesses cut back is the advertising/promotion budget. But choosing sales alone or even marketing alone creates serious challenges to business maintenance and growth in a slow market.

Referrals alone aren’t a dependable answer … that leaves the direction of your business in the hands of your clients and colleagues. Primarily, it seriously limits what you can say and to whom you can speak. 

Marketing creates awareness and desire. However, without a direct or conscious sales effort, you won’t be turning those desires into new sales nearly as often as you should. The best ROI (return on your investment) is coordinating sales messages with marketing.

To effectively increase sales, you need the Recognition, Credibility and Differentiation that Advertising and Public Relations can build. Professional, insightful advertising and PR sends new or additional information about your company to specific audiences, generating new interest. When coordinated with the sales effort, responses and opportunities can grow significantly. The chances of your phone calls being answered rise dramatically.

It’s up to you to decide exactly where to take your business, not up to a fluctuating economy. You know that it's important to start improving your sales with coordinated advertising and public relations now. So, take a look at your marketing and sales plans to see how you can pro-actively handle this recession.

Marketing and communication planning can sound daunting, especially for small businesses, but it really boils down to some focused interviews and a concise description of your business, product advantages and potential customers. Specific messages, a schedule and your brand naturally flow from this written description. Business owners and sales people already have a good understanding of what they have to offer and to whom they are selling, it’s only a matter of getting started.

An important key to success is to communicate effectively. Strategic, marketing-driven materials will separate you from your competition. You’ll need to adjust your messages to recession-wary customers altered buying considerations. Specifically address how your product or service answers those concerns. Professionally designed and written materials will reflect your business advantages and your customers concerns, whether they are plain-spoken and industrial or gorgeously beautiful, funny, or out-there funky.

Make smart media decisions. There are many cost-effective ways to reach customers now. One, because advertising rates go down in a recession. Two, the Internet offers tremendous audience reach and cost opportunities, which most companies have yet to use.

Spend your money wisely. By creating noticeable and relevant promotions at reasonable rates, DT Design Studio can help you get more out of every dollar you spend.

So, increase your profits by grabbing a larger share of today’s smaller market. Start promoting your company now.