Mr. Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is as "take charge" as they come. Democratic strategist Paul Begala recently described Emanuel's aggressive style as a "cross between a hemorrhoid and a toothache" then added, "I love Rahm, but that's a small group of us."
But speaking before a Wall Street Journal conference of top corporate chief executives Emanuel shared one sentence that summed up an opportunistic view we would all do well to embrace. Said Emanuel,
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."
How great is this? Emanuel continued, "Things that we had postponed for too long, that were long-term, are now immediate and must be dealt with. This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not do before."
These are great lines and a great point of view that casts "crisis" as a friend to constructive change. For your clients who have stopped buying because they are paralyzed by their own economic crisis, this is a different way of looking at the same set of circumstance that calls to action, and companies in action will be more likely to be buying product and services from you.
What changes are needed at your client's company?
Are there old products that should have been retired years ago? Your client's customers who might be angered by a product being discontinued might shrug it off in a recession.
Are there departments that need restructuring? Reorganizations that would devastate employee morale can be just seen as business as usual in a recession.
Are there new products, departments, or ideas that need to be pushed to the front burner? Company politics will step aside if helps get through the recession.
When you sell in a time of economic crisis, part of your mission is to advocate for proactive change. As we move into a new year, Emanuel's line sums up the proactive point of view both you and your clients will find greater success by embracing.
