Fear is such a simple 4-letter word, but at the same time it is extremely powerful. I sit back and consider the times when fear has caused me to do the opposite of what I normally would. It is very impressive when you take the time to understand what this 4-letter word has done to all of us. It isn't something that is only part of our personal lives. It is alive and well in the business world, too.

This past year of economic hardships has put the fear into many of us and how could it not? Job losses, budget cuts, and companies failing...The list of solid reasons to be afraid of what 2010 may bring is endless. So how can we let go of past fears and jump into 2010 with our heads held high and full of confidence? I took a look at some suggestions from self-help books to see if they could be translated into the business world. This is what I found:

Understand the cause of
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This has certainly been a year of change. And, possibly what has changed the most is where your audience goes to find their information. I know my own habits have changed substantially over the past year. I went from being a person who swore they would never be on Facebook, to joining Facebook and even Twitter. I even have the Facebook application on my Blackberry. These venues have tremendous marketing value if your audience is participating.

As fellow Godfrey blogger Melinda states, “Print is not dead.” But it is different. Trade publications are definitely noticeably skinnier than they once were. And, given the economic slowdown, maybe people even have more time to read the articles this year. My point is that the economic crisis has caused us to change our behaviors not only as human beings but also as target audiences for many marketers.
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Recently a colleague asked me why I - a B2B PR practitioner - was so bent on taking the LEED AP exam. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) which developed it, LEED accredited professionals, or LEED APs, are said to "have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED Rating System."

I also shared with my colleague that a couple of my B2B marketing client contacts had recently taken and passed the exam. "So, why do you want to be a LEED AP?" she asked. It was a good question and it made me think. I needed an elevator pitch.

The best that I've seen so far comes from a November 2008
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If you know any architects you’ll probably agree that they can be fiercely loyal to certain brands, especially those that define their sense of style and good taste. Windows, doors, flooring, office furniture – especially chairs – right down to their brand of paint. 

So, when my neighbor, the architect, said that she and her husband were going to drive 40 miles for ice cream one evening I wasn’t too surprised. I just figured, it's a brand thing – Häagen-Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s.

The irony is that there's a great little café two blocks down the street that has wonderful ice cream. They offer a dozen different flavors and they're made right here in Lancaster, PA.

I didn’t know how much our neighbors spent on these junkets, but I assumed that they were doing their part to fuel the recovery. I'm sure that driving their SUV 40 miles cost as much as a couple cones at the local café. 

The
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Finally, we're seeing some early positive indicators among the headlines about the economic situation. They remind us that, eventually, things will turn around. When, how much and how fast are anyone's guess. And there may be more bumps in the road, depending on your industry and company health.

But as we make our way through 2009 and prepare for 2010, it's time to change our thought process from "marketing in a downturn" to "marketing in the recovery." But it isn't just about remembering what to do with a real budget.

Things have changed.

This recession coincided with other changes in the B-to-B marketing landscape. We think it has accelerated some changes and that the marketing landscape in the recovery will not be the same as the one pre-recession.

• The media have changed. Some of the changes are jarring - some storied print properties have gone out of existence.
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