With the world becoming frantic about what to do about the current economic crisis (understandably), companies and individuals are searching for every possible means of increasing revenue and cutting costs. Many are in survival mode.

It makes sense to look for opportunities for market diversification, broadening of product offerings and new alliances and partnerships, but while you're exploring those options, don't forget to look at what's right in front of you: improving the selling skills of your salespeople. In my opinion, it's back-to-basics time.

Because of my job as a business consultant, writer, and sales trainer, my radar is always picking up deficiencies in salespeoples' selling skills. I see these weaknesses almost every day. A back-to-basics selling approach will help solve the following problems:

- Jumping to conclusions

- Talking more than listening

- Presenting product or service solutions before doing a thorough needs and desires investigation

- Failing to engage customers to a sufficient level

- Failing to close the sale

- And many more deficiencies.

We all need to tighten our belts, to be more efficient with our resources, and perhaps even cut back. But while we're doing all that retreating, we'd better also get our people focused on the basics of selling, because those basics can help close business with the [perhaps all too few] prospects you have right now, today.

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Sales Trainer Skip Anderson is the founder of Selling to Consumers, a consulting company whose clients are companies and individuals that sell to consumers (in-home selling, retail, financial/real estate, etc.) to maximize sales performance. Get the free Selling to Consumers sales knowledge newsletter.