Deborah Robertson F IDM Sales and Marketing Director Easynet Connect and UK Online

1. Time rather than money

Budgets are going to be tight, plan to do things that need time and resource, rather than budget. For example:

• maximising PR opportunities such as free speaking slots
• communicating with your customers with outbound executive calling, or cost effective emails
• SEO - very effective in increasing free hits to your website. Now is the time to pick through your pages and ensure it is attracting those search engines.

2. Stay in touch with your customers

Listen and respond to them. Retention is key, because acquiring new customers is going to be tougher.

3. Know your ROI

Those finance directors will be after your budget! You must be ready to justify your expenditure against expected revenue and have historical data to back up your calculations.

4. Take the hard decisions and get on with it

Decide what you can afford to do and what will have the most impact. What is needed during tough times is clear direction and the move to doing fewer things, but doing them really well. Make it happen.

5. Keep your chin up

Marketing people are seen as the "bellwethers" of an organisation; if you are down, everyone else gets down. Staff morale is going to be really important in keeping up company performance.

Deborah Robertson F IDM is Sales and Marketing Director, Easynet Connect and UK Online, responsible for delivering an integrated sales and marketing campaign for both brands, to the thriving small to medium size business market. UK Online's sales and marketing programme embraces a multi-discipline and a multi-channel communications approach and underpins the company's unparalleled focus on innovation, excellent customer service and reliability. Prior to her role at UK Online, Deborah has held senior posts at Dell and ntl Business and in 2006 she was included as one of B2B Marketing magazine's top 20 UK Marketers.

The Agency View

Hugh Bishop M IDM Chairman Meteorite Marketing

1. Be Brave

"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all", this is especially true in times of recession. It may not feel like it, but now is the time to think BIG - after all, recessions also bring opportunities.

2. Support your clients (or someone else will!)

More than ever, it is imperative that you understand your client's specific business issues and needs. Make sure that you align your resource and talent accordingly.

3. Hold on to talent – good people will see you through

Recognise in your organisation the key performers who will help you drive the business. Give them endless encouragement, responsibility, training and resource, then let them get on with it.

4. Create momentum

Practise what you preach to you clients. Make sure you keep busy by supporting your existing clients and seeking out as many new business opportunities where possible. Now is the time to really get your business rolling forward not in the other direction. After all, as with clients, it will be those in a position of strength at the end of the recession who will quite literally leap forward.

5. Dress sharp

Now is not the time to get downbeat. Dress smart, stay positive, hold on to the passion and whatever it is that motivates you.

Hugh Bishop M IDM began his marketing career in the retail sector working with the likes of Bally International, Levis and the Burton Group. In the search of a more creative environment he moved agency-side to Y&R and later Wunderman/Cato Johnson where he worked on the Adidas account and the first major utilities flotation, British Gas. He eventually decided to go it alone and set up award-winning direct marketing agency Meteorite in 1998. A regular contributor to BBC Breakfast, Hugh is passionate about championing the leadership role direct response plays in the marketing mix.

 

The Supplier View

 

Stephen Martin F IDM CEO Intermail Plc

1. Conserve cash at all costs

Be obsessive about it. It's your one sure ticket to survival. Are you using too much electricity, lighting, heating...? Can you postpone a Christmas party until the New Year...? Avoid sending expensive Christmas presents to clients - in present economic conditions it may be deemed unnecessary and inappropriate. For the moment, delay capital expenditure if you can...

2. Watch your debtors

A good company can be brought down by a bad debt. Do not allow even existing customers to go over agreed payment terms. Be aware of the businesses your customers are in and if their industry is suffering, watch your clients in that industry more carefully.

3. Run your company on a lean team

Rather than take on more staff, ask existing members if they will come and work overtime to cover the extra workload.

4. Keep your bank informed regularly

Let them know how you are doing. Now is not the time to give them shocks or surprises. If you are going to exceed your overdraft for a few weeks tell them well in advance.

5. Keep your staff in the picture

Tell your staff exactly what your plans are for the next 6 months so they understand what you're doing and what changes you have to make. If, for example you think orders might be down, inform your staff of the implications well in advance. When your staff understand what you're doing, it's more likely they will work with you to help the company survive and prosper.

Stephen trained as a timber technologist, and was a management trainee with J.Lyons and Co Ltd. He took control of the family business in 1970. A founder member of the IDM he studied on one of the first IDM Diplomas at Kingston College in 1988. He became a Fellow of the IDM in 2003 and is Chairman of The Gauntlet Trust Trustees, (Charitable Part of the Armourers and Brasiers Company), and Chairman of the Governors of a local primary school. His interests include fishing and gardening.