Believe it or not, I can remember when using the telephone in sales efforts was a radically new concept. In those days, the heavy sales lifting was done by traveling salesmen (no women in those days) crisscrossing the country. Companies that adopted use of the telephone in the early years made small fortunes because they dramatically increased sales while substantially reducing sales costs.
Most established companies were slow to change sales and marketing methods because they had sales systems that had worked for years and were well entrenched. Many never adapted and sales costs slowly drove them out of business.
We are going through an even more disruptive change with the internet. We have seen early adopters, typically newer or less established companies, make obscene profits with less effort than traditional marketers.
The message: Don’t be left behind. Even in this difficult economy you must invest in internet marketing. At a minimum you should continually invest in your website and email marketing. Learn how to drive prospects to your website and learn how to convert them once they get there. Learn how to leverage the power of email.