We Need a (Little) Recession

Maybe a strange opinion.  One that causes some controversy. But hear me out.  For years BC (Before-COVID) the workload of our clients had increased dramatically, while their resources and processes were unchanged or declining.

In the PC (Post-COVID) world companies went through major efforts managing the massive disruption of COVID.  There was the immediate (and still lingering) supply chain nightmare and the resulting inflation and pricing challenges. Additionally, businesses had the very real long-term impact of retaining good people, while trying to find more good people to add to their sales and service teams.

Which brings me to why we need a (little) recession. Not a big one, just a little one.

We all need to catch our breath. Take a moment, breath and for a moment consider a few things:

• Is the mission critical level of Sales and Service cooperation in place? Today, if salespeople are not physically getting onto the production floor or into the customer’s office, then they’re living in a TEAMS / ZOOM prison. More than ever, Sales teams need to have Service teams be their eyes and ears inside the customer plant.

• Are the new products correctly positioned for today’s market?  The automation levels, the integrated quality control levels, AI ready, etc.?

• More importantly, are all the service products in place?

• Are the correct processes in place?

• Is there a structured preventative maintenance culture in the organization to reduce firefighting in order to become a more proactive maintenance organization?

• Is there an optimal Preventative Maintenance Agreement structure?

• Is there a culture for and are the tools in place for Preventative Maintenance Inspections?

• Is there an effective parts marketing program?

• Is there a professional and profitable REMAN program?

• Are there the right upgrade products?  (are they value pricing of the old cost + pricing model)

• We need a (little) recession to catch our collective breath and consider the bigger picture.  What is the vision for your business, your department, your team and last, but not least, for yourself?

Too many of our customers and contacts in heavy operation roles are so steeped in day-to-day reactionary work that they do not have the time or energy to stop and re-think their business.

We counsel all our clients that you can get the product right, the pricing right, the promotion right, but it is a lack of PROCESSES or inadequate processes that will be the cause of failure.

The world has changed since 2019. Have you and your organization changed with it?

If there is a slowdown in the business, take the chance to re-think, review and modernize.  If the right processes are in place, you’ll be more likely to be ready for when the market picks up and changes again.

At Catalyst Global (.net) we practice what we preach. 

• We’ve expanded to 10 global professionals, speaking seven languages.

• We are dedicated to applying an:  In the Region, for the Region, in the Language, for the Local Culture approach.

• We have launched our new OBP (On Boarding Programs) for many of our clients to help motivate and engage their new hires.

• We have expanded our exceptional Service Sales and Inside Sales Programs.

• We have moved many of our training sessions to the end-customer’s site, where we work on VOC (Voice of Customer). We interview senior managers of the end-customer with the Sales and Service team as the audience.

• We are conducting more Hybrid Programs which bring Sales and Service teams together as one cooperative forum.

• Finally, all our Catalyst team members have their own BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) – a personal challenge to achieve a difficult goal.

So, let’s hope we get a (little) recession. Not a big one, just a little one, so we can catch our breath and spend more of our time working on the business and not just in the business.

Let’s see how the next 6 to 12 months develops. Hang on tight!