Editor’s Take: Desperate or Shortsighted?

I wonder if a good number of marketers are seriously concerned their companies won’t survive beyond January if they don’t reach reasonable sales levels. Not good. Sorry, but for this one, I’m quite pessimistic: 2.

Outlook
If you’re lucky enough to be part of a business that sells recession-proof goods, you may be less impacted than others. You may even come out ahead. But the reality may be that some readers face a make-or-break holiday season.

Unless you’re in such a dire situation, pay close attention to the recent performance of your own company rather than the headlines, as catalog consultant John Lenser recently advised his clients.

As John noted, improve your cutting-edge marketing practices. Don’t revert to cheaper, simpler or easier ones, or you’ll set yourself up to fail. “Well run, efficient companies,” he reminds us, “are always ahead when times are rough.”