During a time when the nation is struggling – business are shutting down, jobs are getting cut, houses are getting foreclosed – a new report from best-selling author and marketing strategist, Bob Bly titled, Recession Proof Business Strategies: 15 Winning Methods to Sell Any Product or Service in a Down Economy, offers proven and powerful solutions to increasing bottom line sales and leveraging existing customers.

Dumont, NJ – April 17, 2009 – During a time when the nation is struggling – business are shutting down, jobs are getting cut, houses are getting foreclosed – a new report from best-selling author and marketing strategist, Bob Bly titled, Recession Proof Business Strategies: 15 Winning Methods to Sell Any Product or Service in a Down Economy, offers proven and powerful solutions to increasing bottom line sales and leveraging existing customers.

According to Bly, “It doesn’t take a recession to create problems for a business…the current situation is just magnifying the problem…business owners need to develop core income-generating solutions that succeed when times are tough.”

He added, “What follows are some powerful strategies that will help business owners large and small as well as entrepreneurs and marketers increase sales while their competition is fighting to stay afloat.”

Here are Bly’s top 3 tips to generate cash during a soft economy:

1. Use Low Cost “Add-On’s” To Generate Additional Revenue.  In other words, bundle your products or services. According to Bly, “If one of my clients has hired me to write a sales letter for a new product, chances are, they’ll want a press release to promote that product. Adding on this service provides value to the client and the additional cost is incremental.”
2. Repackage Your Services to Accommodate Smaller Customers or Reduced Budgets.   As an example, “In my consulting business,” Bly said, “If a client cannot pay, let’s say $5,000, for me to write him a direct mail package, I may critique a package the client actually wrote for $500.”  This method can be applied across the board.  For manufacturers, it could be a no-frills offer or compact version of an existing product.  It could also be smaller order requirements, extended payment plans or special discount incentives.
3. Add Value to Your Existing Products or Services.  Businesses can win new customers by offering faster delivery, a larger product selection than the competition, easier payment terms, or a more attractive guarantee/refund policy.  According to Bly, “These little extras always pay big dividends and provide good will to current and new customers.”

Bly concluded, “Recessions do not last forever.  Historically, they have lasted anywhere from 12-17 months.  Don’t despair.  If you follow all my strategies, it is possible for your business to become busy, and more importantly, profitable again.”

For the full list of winning recession-proof strategies, please visit http://www.bly.com

or http://www.bly.com/recessionsurvey.

About Bob Bly

Best selling author, marketing strategist, copywriter and consultant, Bob Bly, has more than 25 years of business and direct response marketing experience.  Bob’s clients include Fortune 500 companies and some of the country’s leading publishers. He is the author of more than 70 books and is a distinguished speaker and editorial contributor to prominent publications and associations including DMNews, Target Marketing, the Specialized Information Publisher’s Association (SIPA) and more.  His popular free newsletter, The Direct Response Letter, has nearly 100,000 subscribers and contains “insider secrets” to double  response rates, generate more leads and orders, and help your marketing make more money.