Be on your customer’s team. That requires hustle.

Great post, Kyle. Thanks.

In fact, it’s probably easier than ever before to stave off your competition and rise above the clutter as those with a defeatist attitude hastily pull their marketing budgets and cut down on their advertising.

If you allocate dollars effectively, you can command more attention in the marketplace than ever before without others also vying for the attention of your audience. You can also ensure that your message is heard in a less saturated space, and make a more substantive connection with your customers.

Other benefits include keeping your brand top of mind and reinforcing your brand message as competitors disappear. Without all of the noise, you become the loudest — and most memorable — voice in the market, an invaluable opportunity and one that can be achieved with much less investment than in a booming economy.

Be creative, look for solutions, seize opportunities and reach out to your customers in a meaningful way. The point is to DO SOMETHING. Don’t allow your efforts to wane, or your brand equity to diminish. This is the greatest opportunity for your product or service to shine, and for you to grab valuable market share that could sustain you long after the economy rebounds.

Jim Cramer always explains his story about how he got on top… he hustled… when he started at the inv. bank, he realized he needed to get in before everyone else so when trading started, he would be ready. So he came in at 6. Then others did. So he came in at 5. Etc. You always need to be thinking and moving. And always jump in the pool.