Salespeople just have to switch between different roles in the right way: selling, advising, providing service and collecting information. Intuitively, when there are shortages, sellers shift their attention to products that are available. That is exactly what car salesmen did during the oil crisis. When the small fuel-efficient cars sold out, they successfully started touting the benefits of big Japan Phone Number List cars. With the rising fuel prices, they unintentionally got their customers in trouble. In addition, because of their approach, the signal did not get through to the car manufacturer to switch to economical models. It continued to produce large cars, which the target audience could no longer afford. Woman in empty supermarket in Russia. Help your customers In times of scarcity, customers need extra help. Sales must delve into the problems of the customers and propose suitable solutions and alternatives. Digital solutions, more economical solutions, sustainable solutions or sometimes pragmatic solutions that help the customer towards the future.
For example, a paper seller can help its industrial customer find substitute papers, help conserve paper, digitize, recycle or even temporarily supply paper from other suppliers. The seller can further ease the pain of its customers by taking orders, advising on delivery dates and Japan Phone Number List informing them about prospects of future deliveries. Everything to keep the customer running and healthy. And is sales always done by a salesperson who drives the car to his customers? Certainly not. It is precisely in a Japan Phone Number List period of uncertainty that it is possible to implement change, such as an inside sales model or accelerated e-commerce transformation. Sellers must advise, provide service and collect information The changed role of advertising For many companies it is tempting to significantly reduce the advertising budget in times of shortages. Something you can't sell needs no attention, is the thought. Kotler describes 4 alternatives for cutting the advertising budget: 1. Shift the advertising budget to products that Japan Phone Number List are still abundantly available This is an obvious response, but risky. Often the products that are still available in abundance are at the end of their life cycle or have low margins. Advertising on these products certainly does not always result in an increase in sales.
Shift the advertising budget to products that have just been launched and are still at the beginning of their product lifecycle Products that still need intensive promotion to generate market awareness and interest. The investment in times of shortage will then be paid back more quickly in Japan Phone Number List times of abundance, it is expected. 3. Shift the advertising budget towards advertising to teach the customer to use the product more economically, or more sustainably This form of advertising can lower the demand for scarce products, reduce the negative effects of less scarce products and build goodwill with the public. This does require nuance and sincerity. This form of advertising can quickly be Japan Phone Number List experienced as a marketing ploy to polish the image, as is the case with ' greenwashing '. 4. Sponsor messages to defend the company against all forms of criticism imaginable During the oil crisis, some oil companies ran full-page advertisements explaining that they needed their generous profits to invest in new oil fields and refineries.