Dealing with Uncertainty

With all of the uncertainty and volatility in markets across the world right now, it's really hard to forecast or predict what's next. Looking at last year's pattern just won't cut it. It's hard to plan a big sale or predict results when constant change is the new norm. So what can you do? Here's a few pointers:

DJIA Results from August 9, 2011. From Yahoo! Finance.

1) Plan for disaster, but keep going. Schedule that grand opening. Have a sale. Send out some e-mails. Write that press release. Update your blog. Do a Facebook promotion. But understand that something as big as the debt ceiling debacle (and the super-fun it's caused) can happen anytime. Just because stuff happens, doesn't mean you stop doing business.

2) Redeploy underutilized assets. That's a fancy way of saying that if you have an eblast that no one read because all of your customers were paying attention to the shenanigans on Capitol Hill, tweak it a bit and send it out again. It'll save you time and design costs, and the message may take the second time around.

3) Be flexible and play out the what-ifs. What if your next sales event is hijacked by world events? Always have a Plan B. The best marketing plan is a flexible one. Be ready to reschedule, retrench, reboot, and restart. Think more carefully than usual when you order inventory and supplies. Don't order anything that can't be sold more than one way or any supplies that can't be repurposed.

4) Keep your head up. If you can get through now (and you got through the last thing), you can get through the next thing. Being resilient is key to survival. You can do it!

How are you getting through this crazy time? Please comment on this post.

Related posts:

Creating Your Marketing Plan
Four Ways to Keep Your Head Up in Tough Times