Recession? No Thanks; I'll Pass

The next time someone starts talking to you about how bad things are and how the economy is in a recession, do yourself – and your sales results – a favor. Stop the person and let them know you aren't taking part in this recession. Sound crazy? Read on, because it's working like a champ for those who are doing it.

Here's the idea: when you tell yourself no one is buying anything right now and business is going to be terrible until we get out of this recession, you stall yourself in negative thinking. Not surprisingly, your complaints then become self-fulfilling. The opposite is true as well: if you steadfastly refuse to allow yourself to use the "R" word, concentrating instead on new and creative ways of succeeding, you'll likely rise to the top. "Don't let a bad economy be your excuse for failure," urges Ivan Misner, founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest referral organization. "Instead, make it an opportunity to succeed."

In a recent podcast, Misner recalled meeting a real estate agent at a 2002 business mixer in Connecticut where the real estate market had just bottomed out. Unlike every other person Misner met that evening - all of whom were complaining about the tough sales environment - the real estate agent gushed that he was having his best year ever. His secret was emblazoned on a big blue and white badge that read, "I absolutely refuse to participate in the recession."

The agent told Misner, "While most of my competitors are crying the blues about how bad business is, I am out drumming up a ton of business, networking with my contacts, and generating referrals by talking about the great opportunities that exist right now to purchase real estate." Among his strategies: he was calling former prospects who wished they had invested during the previous downturn to let them know the opportunity was here again. In short, by shifting tactics to adjust to market conditions and reaching deeply and aggressively into his network, the real estate agent was achieving unprecedented success. You can do the same by following this advice from Misner:

Ignore the nay-sayers. You know who they are - the folks who sit around grumbling about how bad things are, about their frustrations with your company's recent price increases, about how no one's buying anything. These people can drag you down faster than you can say, "recession." Avoid them. Tell them you're not participating in the recession and surround yourself with high energy, creative thinkers instead.

Find the lemonade. What does this economic downturn mean for your customers and how might you help them in some unique and creative ways? Just as the real estate agent found the silver lining in the 2002 downturn by shifting to an investment angle, look for the silver lining in your business right now.

Be visible. Now's the time to broaden and deepen your network. Get out there and meet people. Be ultra visible. Get in touch with your local Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations and look for ways to participate. Look for speaking opportunities and be prepared with a presentation that provides real, solid, useful information - not a sales pitch. Write some articles. Volunteer. Start a blog. Constantly be looking for ways to raise your profile.

Recraft your pitch. Sit down and think about your elevator pitch and how you introduce yourself to other business professionals at networking meetings, says Misner. Find ways to incorporate what is going on in the economy into your pitch in a way that is positive for your business: "We help organizations weather downturns in the economy by ...."

In the end, as Misner points out, "You can't control the economy. You can't control the competition. But you can control your response to the economy, and referrals can keep your business alive and strong, even during an economic downturn." If you're saying to yourself, "What downturn?" you've got the message.