“There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer.” — Peter Drucker
Last week, I heard economist Doug Duncan speak on housing finance and the current marketplace. He believes that the “national financial crisis is over and like previous financial crises, this one has shifted from a national problem to a regionally-driven event.” Duncan said that there are currently 5 million loans that are 90-day delinquent or in foreclosure with 50% of the delinquency coming from the four “sand” states. He said that full recovery is 24 to 36 months out but that most states (with the exception of the “sand” states) will recover sooner.
It does appear that we have hit bottom which means the only way to go from here is up. While no one can predict the future, one thing is clear: Conducting business as usual is not going to cut it in a post-crisis market. Now is the time to take a good look at your sales processes. What’s working? What isn’t? Are you creating customer value with every sales activity? If not, it’s time to re-evaluate what activities matter most.
Important Update: We have just launched a new one-day training class, How to Interview for Integrity in Sales Reps. If you are interested in obtaining the agenda, just send me an email.