November 22, 2010

So you want to jump start Q1? Not so fast.

Before you jump into the fray of a "One-Day Sale" or other such "fire sale" tactic, get your ducks in a row first.

• Know what Q1 business is coming back.
• Know what's not.
• Look at your Q1 '09 Average Unit Rate and assess whether it will be the same, better, or worse than last year.
• Compare this information against your new budget goals for Q1 2011.
• Break down Local Direct and Agency, National, NTR, Digital.

Then, depending on the delta that exists, you'll have a good idea of what you need to do to jumps start the year. A one-day sale is fine, but you don't want to under-price when you don't have to. Always ... always have a good handle on your inventory.

Now go!