Getting sales results in today’s uncertain economy requires a different strategy than was utilized in the booming economy of the past ten years.

Formerly many industries experienced order taking to generate sales results. There is little or no order taking during an economical slow down. Now is the time for sales people to intensify their approach to maintain and improve their sales results, particularly if they want to survive the downturn.

Recently, while in Dubai, I learned that new real estate developments have been shelved and that many organizations are downsizing their departments and specifically their sales force.

I could not believe their sales strategy had remained unchanged. Most organizations continue to maintain sales offices and wait for potential prospects to walk in the door.

Wake up! This is not the time to be catering to walk-ins for sales results. Order taking is a reactive sales approach and will not produce any sales results. This type of backward thinking does not portray sales professionalism.

Now is the time to hire real, unwavering sales professionals or train those in sales to step up, to step out and to target high value customers. It is the only way to survive. There must be a proactive approach to sales and not a reactive approach in order to maximize sales results.

Businesses in today’s economy cannot wait for sales results. They cannot afford to be reactive to the current turmoil in the market place. It is imperative that steps be taken to grab onto and solidify all sales prospects in order to ensure profound sales results.

Businesses need to be out in the market place in a more proactive way. They need to position themselves as leaders and lead the way for the long term sales results. It is not productive to be followers into a potentially short term crisis. Now is the time to step up and do more, to enhanced leadership and to truly be in the sales result business.