As the economic crisis deepens on an almost daily basis, more and businesses across the country are looking for methods and techniques to maintain and boost sales.

"It's a difficult situation - but there are ways to make it through," reassured Technology Sales and Marketing Coach, Terry Forsey. "That's why I have just published a white paper offering suggestions for continued growth by commercial organisations - whatever the sector.

"I have over 30 years of business experience and in that time have lived, and traded, through other challenging times. This document gives creative thinking and ideas that I believe - if properly implemented - will guarantee survival through the crunch into 2009 and beyond."

In the white paper, Terry discusses five key business elements that should be addressed. These include;

"The top technique to reassure customers and install confidence in your product or service

"How to focus on what your business does well

"The best way to win more profitable business from existing customers

"What we can learn from the 1980-85 recession that will help us to grow through this downturn; and

"How to adopt a positive approach to the sales process that will draw customers to you in difficult times.

"The essential, and overriding key to success at the moment is to demonstrate and maintain a confident attitude," adds Terry. "Customers are drawn to those who exude an air of 'certainty' - and it is only by instilling this positivity into all business activities, can a company best equip itself to 'weather the storm'."

It's not the economy that poses the greatest challenge at the moment - nor is it customers, it's the negativity from the media.

This according to leading Technology Sales and Marketing Coach, Terry Forsey, who believes that all this talk of cutbacks and falling profits affects businesses and forces them to lower their goals.

"In a downturn many commercial organisations struggle and sadly, some fail - but there are always those that succeed and win," said Terry. "These are the ones who take a positive attitude and do not let themselves get 'bogged down' in the negative messages that surround them on the radio, TV or in the newspapers.

"To be successful you need to keep thinking positively - if you do not believe success is possible then you are predetermining the outcome. Think big and act as if it will happen, the results will be significant!"

Terry, who has a Masters Degree in Computer Science, has spent 30 years working as a Sales and Marketing focused Director within the IT Industry so has experienced previous economic lows.

"The current situation is a great opportunity," Terry adds. "I advise clients to be aware that their competitors may well 'buy' into this negative mood, and in doing so, they will act with negativity - probably 'freeze up' and stop taking any proactive marketing at all. Obviously, this creates an opportunity for someone else - you have to be ready to act quickly and decisively to take the advantage.

"The competition's fear and worry of the 'credit crunch' may well disable its marketing activities which, in turn, will stifle service delivery to new business opportunities - if they had have taken a more positive mindset in the beginning, this situation would not have occurred.

Terry then proved his theory; 'By adopting powerful sales and marketing strategies some of my clients grew by over 50 downturn in their sector, that's still 30-40% growth in the downturn - so it can be done!"