Trends for 2009: #19. Survival of the one who can help you be the cheapest

Yesterday I blogged about the business strategy that will be in vogue in 2009 - the Low Cost Strategy. Actually, I think that being the low cost player is always the right one to bet on, and it should be in vogue regardless of the times.

Today, I'll finish off that posting. The other type of business that can prosper in 2009 is the one that can help another business become the low cost player. These types of "B2B" businesses include:

• IT Service providers - Companies who can truly deliver systems that will truly lower your business costs. I'm not talking about the jerks who delivered the Y2K "testing", the SOx compliance crap (yah - like that helped), or the "CRM" line. No - I'm talking about really great consultants who can help you analyze your company and deliver systems that really take costs out of your business in a sustainable way. I'm also talking about technology services that will change the way you do business and eliminated costs you face today. For instance, take a look at companies who provide Virtual Meeting technology.
  
• Outsourcers - Companies whose core business is doing something that isn't a core part of another's business stand a chance at helping that other business lower their cost. For instance, a company that provides outsourced call center services can pool resources, train resources, and put fancy systems in place that increase their productivity, reduce their costs, and increase customer satisfaction. Outsourcing - done right - can actually help a company to improve its brand while it reduces its costs.
  
• Discount retailers - Companies that can provide basic inputs to a business - like furniture, paper, and computers - at a lower cost than others.

What is a B2B Marketer to do in 2009? Strategies to follow include:

• Look for the value in your product or service. You probably are doing something today that will help other companies lower their costs. If you aren't then find out how you can change your offering to provide that. You must provide value that will help to lower your customers' costs.
• Advertise it! One of the other strategies for surviving - and indeed propsering - throught a recession is to Advertise. Once you find your value proposition that helps to lower your customers' costs, then make sure they know about it.

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.