Easy enough to walk down the street, knock on doors and get 2-3 new appointments, belly to belly with new accounts done in the morning. But am I missing something? Is there a goal in mind other than more activity? Seems like the boss should be giving her a sales quota goal too.

Database Marketing techniques can be a great help to the sales exec that needs more appointments. Database Marketing starts with acquiring a list of names in the target market via association lists, trade journal lists or other similar sources and then developing a series of "touches" or contacts to drive the prospect/suspect to call the sales exec to find out more. A contact series should be developed with between 6-12 varied contacts which can include letters, emails, postcards, or any information that the propect would find of interest (copies of pertinent new articles for example). There are service bureaus or consultants that can provide these services so that the sales exec can concentrate on their strength of coverting prospects into cusotmers. A separate series of contacts should be developed geared to winning back old customers as well. They may be just waiting to be asked (although once may not be enough...so keep it going) This database marketing effort, of course, is IN ADDITION To and not instead of current sales efforts. Good Luck Bob Ruzicka Compton & Sons, INc Bob@comptonandsons.com

WRONG!!!! This is totally wrong since you never had the rep ask the boss exactly what it is he wants. More appointments means what? How about defining the appointment- who does the company want to sell to. Does the lack of appointments also indicate a lack of sales? The rep may not be able to perform a market analysis on her own- and your response appears trite and old school. You did her no favors and she will wash out of the business- another casualty of small minded thinking rampant in our industry.

FOCUS -- By focusing your effort on a single vertical, a single geographic location, a single service, or a single message you are able to be more efficient with your prospecting effort and DISQUALIFY prospects faster. You are also able to make your message stick more clearly. To often in the print industry we try to be all things to all people when in reality there is one thing, maybe two things, any shop does exceptionally well. Find that sweet spot and FOCUS on that sweet spot.

Bill Any recommendations on where to look for & research emerging markets &/or markets performing well in a weak economy? Thanks

Yes! I believe that the best place to look is the Wall Street Journal, in print or online. It has stories every day of dozens of hot and cold markets.