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Everyone is whining about the economy. Even though newspapers reported, just a few weeks ago, that the “recession is over”, I continue to hear the cry,” No one is buying.” While I agree times are tough for companies right now, especially some of the SMB businesses my clients are serving, it’s important that we all keep this perspective:

• Most companies are spending money: It’s almost always a question of value. Businesses are not going to spend money on “wants” when the economy appears to be down. However, they will spend on needs. Make sure you are meeting urgent needs and remember, Chet Holmes (author of TheUltimate Sales Machine) says, “Companies spend on mitigating risk before spending to improve production.”

• Spend time with positive people: No one wants to buy from a depressed sales person. If your friends are moping around about the economy, politics, or some other issue at hand, find new friends. You can’t afford to be pessimistic.

• Reengineer your game: Every trial has a benefit. Use this time to perfect your consultative approach, clean out bad habits, and hone new skills. Try being a consultant and help your clients improve their current position.

• Start Selling: Most companies are not going to call with big orders. That means it’s time to start selling. If sales were easy, you wouldn’t have a job.

Understanding why gate keepers keep the gate closed can help move the sale forward. Several reasons come to mind:

• They hate their boss and don’t want to introduce you.
• They don’t care about the company and are doing as little as possible.
• They’re afraid to recommend or introduce anything up the line.
• Controlling vendor relationships gives them their only sense of power.
• If they didn’t meet with all the vendors personally, they’d have nothing to do.
• They enjoy eating out, receiving golf shirts, and other vendor memorabilia.
• They’ve been told by their managers not to let vendors call those higher in the organization.
• They don’t like you and want to make sure their current providers aren’t displaced.

Heading out early, I promised to meet some of my clients at 8 AM to begin a workshop called “Mastering the Boardroom Presentation”. Rather than setting up transportation, I asked the hotel to take care of it for me; which they were happy to do. I was expecting a Town Car, but when the front desk rang my room, they reported that my cab was here. I handed the driver a note with a clearly written address. He looked at it, grabbed his map, and in a few moments stated, “We’re all set.” Twenty minutes later, we’re in a rundown residential neighborhood and he announces,”It’s here somewhere.” Buried in my Wall Street Journal, I hadn’t been watching where we were going. When I alerted him to the fact that we were supposed to be in Mechanicsville, Virginia looking for a business, he simply said, “I didn’t think this was really in Mechanicsville. Don’t worry; we’ll be there in half an hour.” (causing me to be half an hour late for my meeting). Last time I ride with that company. I set up my own car to get back to the airport the next day. Make sure you understand what the client wants if you’re looking for repeat business!

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Please pass this on to anyone you know who is working to build a profitable solutions business today. Consider having David Stelzl speak at your next quarterly meeting or customer event. Create a value proposition that positions you as the expert and attracts new clients. Consider hiring a professional coach to accelerate the process.