Here are several excerpts from an interesting article by Andrew Boyd, Chief Research Officer for the Aberdeen Group, 3 Low-Cost or No-Cost Customer Management Tips for Uncertain Times:

In a recessionary environment, sales and marketing managers should prepare themselves for lengthened sales cycles and decreased pipeline velocity. Tried and true tactics that have always worked — e.g. month-end discounting, bundling and promotions — will begin to sound increasingly desperate as sales reps struggle to make the quotas that were set months ago in the budgeting process. Customers — those in a buying mood — will buy on their own terms, and it is increasingly unlikely that they will be “sold to.” Therefore, price erosion will take hold as vendors struggle to adapt the new competitive conditions.

With reduced headcount and frozen budgets, organizations may be tempted to put technology and capabilities investments on hold. However, now is the time to act; below are some low- or no-cost actions organizations can immediately take to retain a competitive edge though tough times…

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Here’s an interesting post by Juan Gutierrez of Pandemic Labs, Viral Marketing: Is it the Flu or are we Infected?:

Viral marketing, a colloquial name given to a subset of social media marketing, is growing like a wild weed. Traditional marketing giants like Unilever and Comcast, to name a few, are increasingly active in using the SMM tools to promote their brands and interact with consumers.

One has to wonder: is it just a flu or has the virus spread so deep as to become a reality?

I firmly believe we are on the way to a pandemic, and SMM will rule modern marketing. Yes, we are infected (in a good way) and there is no vaccination. However, I still feel the virus is just showing its symptoms, and a few things need to happen before it settles in and becomes reality. Let me give you the reasons why I believe we will get irremediably sick, why that is a very good thing, and what I think will have to happen for us to get there.

There are plenty of reasons to explain why SMM will be huge. I know everyone has favorites, so I will dare to give you mine…

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Here’s an insightful, collaborative report from Peter Kim, a social computing strategist,  that includes the thoughts of some of the “best” minds in Social Media, Social Media Predictions 2009:

Community and collaboration are wonderful things.

Fourteen great minds on social media have shared thoughts on what 2009 may have in store for us.  Here’s some of what a few of them are thinking:

• “Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology - it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful.” - David Armano
• “Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation.” - Pete Blackshaw
• The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media.” - Todd Defren
• “Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball.” - Ann Handley
• “Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return.” - Andy Sernovitz

Everyone’s thoughts have been assembled in a free PDF download. Or you can read the entire report within the original post.  Also, these predictions are now posted on Slinkset, where you can vote on your favorites and submit your own.

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Is your company ready for the online holiday rush?  Here is a summary of several issues to consider that appeared in a recent article by Cindy Waxer for InsideCRM, Ho-Ho-Hold on to Your Customers:

With the number of online retail sales expected to grow to a whopping $271.6 billion by the year 2011, companies simply can’t afford to fall out of favor with their Web shoppers. Here’s what businesses need to bear in mind as they strive to keep their customers happy during the holiday crunch:

Manage your inventory. “Adequate inventory is something e-tailers can have difficulties with if they experience a spike in demand,” warned Michelle Warren, a senior research analyst with Info-Tech Research Group.

Keep tabs on your technology. Unanticipated spikes in online traffic can send an e-tailer’s servers crashing — and Web shoppers running elsewhere. For this reason, Warren advised to “consider working with your solution provider to ensure that you have the right amount of technology in place.”

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Here’s a synopsis of an excellent post by Dan Schwabel, a Social Media Specialist and publisher of the Personal Branding Blog, 10 Ways Personal Branding Can Save You From Getting Fired.  Be sure to check out the complete post for more detail on each of the following tips:

Instead of scaring you with the harsh reality of the economy, I would much rather give you hope and advice on how to tackle it head on! The solution I’m proposing is “personal branding,” which is the process by which we market ourselves to others.

As a Mashable reader and social media connoisseur, realize that the difference between the branding of the past, and that of the present, is that social media has handed you the keys and a microphone to your future success. What I mean is that you are empowered, and are given the opportunity to let your voice be heard, at the cost of your time. OK, now for the tips…

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