Get with the program, guy!”

That was my high school gym teacher’s way of saying:  figure out what’s going on around you and act accordingly.

The “program” in many parts of the country these days is challenging economic times.

How to supercharge your sales in a down economy was a topic I addressed in my program yesterday for members of the International Design Guild.

Among the strategies I shared:  

 + Don’t Participate in “the Recession.” Never complain, never explain. Don’t assume clients are cutting back due to the economy, and don’t get distracted by pessimistic media analysts and financial gurus.

+ Create Immediacy. Get em’ to buy now by pointing out when prices are scheduled to rise.

+ Minimize Your Price. Remind wary customers how little your service costs per day.

+ Focus on the Future. Discuss long term goals and upcoming needs with your current clients. Remind them about all of your design services and products.

+ Cross Pitch. Talk about your commercial capabilities with residential clients — and vice versa.

+ Smile and Dial. What’s your success ratio in slower times: does it take 20 calls to get four appointments? Ten follow-ups to get one sale? Create a calling schedule.

+ Flexible Terms. From payment plans to whole house discounts, there are lots of ways to make it easier for customers to work with you.

+ Guarantee Your Work You already do, don’t you? You already try to correct the problem if a client’s upset, right? Now, offer the guarantee upfront. It could provide you with a competitive edge.

+ Aim Higher. Target the kind of high end clients who are used to spending in bad times as well as good.