1. Use lead management to maximize the value of each lead. When prospects are fearful, Miller says, “you need lead scoring to identify which leads are highly engaged, and lead nurturing to develop relationships.”

2. Focus on your house list. Spend more time marketing to (and building relationships with) the people you already know.

3. Build and optimize landing pages. Jon Miller wisely informs us that “a dedicated landing page is the single most effective way to turn a click into a prospect.”

4. Develop content for later in the buying cycle. Stick to the surer thing: “focus your offers on content that will appeal to someone who’s actually looking for a solution.”

5. Appeal to the nervous buyer. Says Miller: “[Include] customer references, reviews, expert opinions, awards, and other validation as part of your marketing.”

6. Align sales and marketing. Both teams should work together to create a single revenue pipeline.

7. Don’t be a cost center. “[M]arketing investments must be justified with a rigorous business case and should be amortized over the entire ‘useful life’ of the investment,” says Miller.

The Po!nt: Tough times can be toughed out. Tips like these can help ensure you stay on top during a downturn. source : J Miller.