Guidelines for surviving the crisis

By: Adhir Uzcátegui
Some time ago, talking to a friend; Captain of a deep-sea fishing vessel, I asked him what they were doing in the face of seeing that at some time the fish of great demand are more scarce.

Relying on his great experience and with great tranquility, that of the one who lives doing what I have asked him, he points out that if you want to keep one in the business, the less it bites the bigger the net must be and the more difficult it is to get it, the more the fisherman must move.

All fishermen suffer the same crisis as my friend's, he has a hard job by the way, they move away from their families for an important time, they face the adversity of the weather, the risk of death is a constant ... and as if that were not enough, due to exacerbated predation, poor planning, lack of controls, etc.; every day they see their possibility of fishing reduced since certain fish of high demand are of smaller amount and move away from the historical places of settlement.

It seems to me that there is a certain analogy for our security industry with the crisis that is being suffered. You are experiencing a deep crisis due to effects outside your own company and you must do something if you want to survive it.

Faced with this situation, I would like to point out to you a principle of action of real value to face every crisis:

"To stay where you are, you have to run as fast as you can. And if you want to go somewhere else you must run at least twice as fast" Luwis Carroll

And now, some tips that I think will be useful to you:
• Don't be tempted by the cost savings of downsizing... of the sales sector. In periods of demand crisis is when the budget allocated to this area should be increased the most. Encourage and re-encourage salespeople or security advisors economically and psychologically.

• Stop hearing versions of your current and potential competition. Resolve now to have direct and certain information.

• In the face of the crisis, listen to sales and marketing professionals and leave aside the voice of engineers or accountants. Are you treating a liver condition with a heart specialist or dermatologist?

• Keep in mind that a demand crisis is resolved outside your security company and not inside.

• Do not work in uncertainty or hope, develop together with your advisors a tactical marketing plan with a horizon of no less than six months and monitor your evolution personally.

• Invest resources in looking for differential aspects (advantages and benefits) that can be added to your products and services.

• You must believe, with all your soul, that the client is the one who sets the how and why. He is the sovereign and almighty, he is the master of the market and thanks to him his security company lives. Pretending to subordinate it to their desire simply implies great losses and the possible disappearance of their activity.

• Banish concepts like "no one better than the company (or me) to know what's good for the customer." Accept that quality is not established by technical analysis, this is a mental concept of each consumer, therefore, it depends on the market's perception of the attributes and benefits of your product and service.

• Agree with one of the fathers of modern marketing, Philip Kotler, when he says "you have to manufacture what you sell and not sell what you make".

• Reduce the height of the organizational pyramid of your security company, which I see a lot in our countries. The higher it is, the people in charge of the management move away from the market and therefore, it is difficult for them to follow the evolution of the market. Direct contact between the decider and the customer is essential, favor the same.

• Shorten distribution channels.

• Seriously consider creating a "customer service" program to be a competitive advantage that differentiates your product and service.

• Train yourself and have your sales staff do the same. If you and your people do not exceed your own standards and assume that what you know is enough, it may be that the fishing net is short to collect the fish you need. Remember what my friend the fisherman taught me.

• If the crisis is one of demand, low consumption or the low profitability it generates, administrative measures are necessary but not sufficient, do not be confused.

• Do not lock yourself to think how to save, this is good and I can not deny it, but while you have your head tilted, looking at the desk with your numbers and reports, you can not see the client pass by (and the opportunity) through the door of your company and follow along, since no one approaches or approaches you to see what you need and how you need it. Working on costs is good, working on the customer is better.

• Remember that people don't buy by price. The customer buys benefits and relates them to the price in a different way than what you or your accountant does when analyzing costs. Look at how you buy and you'll see what I mean.

• The customer buys emotions, the emotions that the product and its staff transmit to him, work to associate with his product the emotions that people are looking for. Look at the commercials and you will see that they are positioned in the "well-being" that the client is looking for. From soap powder, toothpaste... to the wax of the floor.

• Don't fool yourself by saying you want to do marketing but have no money. Many times it is only necessary to modify work schemes, hold talks with customers, leave the office and link with the market, read and read, redirect investments and / or expenses, I tell you because for two months I have been on the street with my sellers as when I started and what I learned is incalculable.

• Nor should it be said; "yes, I know I must do marketing. Now, as soon as I get out of this crisis, I promise to change the model and do marketing." Do not lie, the time to do marketing is now, if you do not do it can happen that the crisis never comes out.

• Keep in mind that when the "cake" shrinks, not those who are hungry eat, but those who know how to eat and arrive first.

• Forget the little heart of "industrial" if it involves worshipping the product by underestimating the consumer. If you forget the market, the market will forget about you.

Happy Sales or have a good catch!!!

If you want to contact the author of this article you can write to him at the email: [email protected]