When you’re trying to expand your customer base, maybe you’ve found yourself spinning your wheels in a rut. Don’t make people yawn when they think of what you have to offer, give the public something that makes them sit up and take notice. Even in a bad economy, it’s easy to satisfy your old customers while attracting new ones, if you have a basic understanding of human nature.

Today, life is more throw-it-away-and-replace-it than fix it. Toyota’s voluntary recall was an exemplary move, but people are a lot more savvy and harder to please than they used to be. Brand loyalty doesn’t extend much beyond their first bad experience, making it very difficult to recover. My wife spotted a roach once, in one location of a big, fast food chain, and now she’s disinclined to eat at any of their many stores, anywhere. For her, although it happened only once, seeing that brand logo triggers visions of the roach, and a bug is a powerful repulsion in the food industry.

Recently, a major pizza chain has been countering lagging sales due to a preponderance of their customers dissatisfied with their overall product. They’re doing it by airing an aggressive campaign that counters the negatives head on with direct solutions backed by positive customer testimonials and hard-to-beat offers. This is exactly what I’m talking about. They didn’t sit around and moan, they knew exactly what they had to do to put the brakes on their decline and knew that their competition was waiting for them to fall all over themselves in panic. They knew what was wrong with their product based on feedback and did something about it.

In another example, my brother-in-law, owner of several locations in a popular fast food chain, increased his breakfast crowd at all of them simultaneously, well beyond the accepted corporate norms, by giving his coffee away for a full two weeks. You weren’t required to make a purchase, and you were still able to select the size you normally drank. In fact, the coffee manufacturer, recognizing this immediately as a winning promotion, decided to make a donation of the coffee. This was a win-win scenario for all involved; my brother-in-law increased his numbers at all four stores and the coffee manufacturer increased his sales.

I’m not going to try and speculate as to what each and every failing business model needs to offer to keep themselves afloat, because if you’re in that particular business, you can pretty accurately calculate that on your own. It’s not just about adding another product or service to your roster, it’s about turning things around and giving the public what they want. It’s about presenting yourself in a manner that makes people believe you are totally different from the rest, offering them a way to save their money, giving them something they won’t normally get anywhere else, easing their fears, assuring them of your humanity, showing them why you’re the better alternative, giving them a reason to give you a try.

Did you ever wonder how each and every insurance company can save you over $300 on your car insurance by switching to them? How is it that every gold buying company gives you the most money for your unwanted gold? Why would anyone sign up for a free credit check when they can get it for free on their own? All this is made possible by a business presenting themselves in a different light than their competition, offering people a variation of something they cannot get anywhere else. It’s not only about offering the nuts and bolts of a product, it’s about surrounding that offer with a message that separates the relevant from the ho-hum. It’s about giving your current and potential customers a reason to bypass others and come directly to you. It boils down to giving your business a unique position in the marketplace and making it work by being consistent with your message.

Like I’ve said before, this is the time to do it. Advertising is cheaper, especially TV, people are spending more time at home, becoming more discerning as to where they spend their money, and generally, looking to be entertained in these depressing times. So if you’re interested in making your business not just recover during hard times, but genuinely thrive once it’s over, now is the perfect time to make it happen.

If you’re a lawyer, dentist or doctor, you can revitalize a dreary practice by offering a new and more relevant and sought after specialty, offer free consultation, show empathy for people’s fears and concerns. If you’re a real estate agent, you can specialize in finding homes for seniors who desire to shrink their responsibilities, telling them what you can do to make it a more pleasant experience, assuring them that you’ll be by their side every step of the way. You can assist first-time buyers who want to take advantage of the lower cost housing market, let them know just how far you’d be willing to go to make it a more exciting experience, how you understand their need to keep things as economical as possible, and how you can provide the exact listings they are looking for. If you’re a mortgage company, you might want to take advantage of all the bad press surrounding your business by countering with a feel-good campaign aimed at the average buyer, while offering them a glimpse of all you’ll do to make it a less fearful and stressful undertaking.

There’s no time like the present. I cannot stress strongly enough that the current economy is giving you ample opportunity to make your business stronger than ever. Rates for printing, newspaper advertising, TV advertising, and direct mail have all been cut drastically. Create a name for yourself, revitalize a sagging business, or add to your already successful enterprise. Whatever your motive, or whatever you choose to do, now is the time. Opportunity is knocking at your door.