What are the best tactics to increase sales?
Increasing sales may seem implausible during a downturn, but staying confident is important to surviving. Some customers, like public bodies or wealthy individuals, will be better shielded from the economic downturn. Try to increase the mix of sales that goes to those customers. One good way to find out which customers are doing best is to actually talk with them. Your business is small, so turn that into an advantage by being close to current and prospective customers. If you treat good customers like your friends, they will care more about your survival and will do more to help you in intangible ways, like giving you advice and helping you to network. Because customers may also be short of cash, be imaginative and fearless about proposing payment-in-kind when there is a chance your customer could also be your supplier. Avoid a formulaic approach to chasing debts and looking for new sales prospects. Try to separate those customers that have a temporary cashflow problem from those that
