'Financial Tsunami' is the new phrase that has been coined to describe the current global market scenario. As the global markets reflect the U.S. financial meltdown, and Asia Pacific markets follow the Dow Jones and Nasdaq paths, the biggest worry of the Indian IT industry is how to steer clear the ship in these turbulent times. Are there any strategies or economic pathways that one can follow with confidence to tide over the Financial Tsunami?

Having successfully steered the organization through the dot com burst and the following slowdown, I have come to realize that in tough times, one needs to get back to the basics. Put your head down and follow some simple but effective rules with a clear focus on business.
Let me offer my 7 simple rules for sales people to combat the downturn:

Be close to your customer: Ensure that you are talking to your customer on a regular basis. In tough times your customers also look towards you for advice on how to leverage their existing infrastructure. By being in constant and regular touch with your customers you will have a pulse on how their business needs and priorities are changing and how you can help them to overcome the downturn. Tough times are opportunities for you to establish long lasting relationships with your customers. Remember that in good times everyone wants to be your friend but in tough times only your true friends stand by you. Be the true friend to your customer.

Articulate your service: Be articulate in communicating your organization's key messages to your customers. Convey to them in clear terms how your organization's offering or services can deliver a better and faster RoI to help them retain their competitive edge. Do you know your customers adequately to be able to explain to them how you can deliver a better RoI in a shorter timeframe or how you can help them leverage their existing infrastructure?

Innovate: A crisis is a great time to innovate, when you may have to think of ways of staying ahead of the competition, of being more efficient, of coming up with different marketing or product bundling ideas. Great innovative ideas originate at war times; likewise, wonderful business schemes come up to one's mind during challenging economic times.