What did you do in the recession?

Two years ago I used to meet many business owners who would say that they had no need to sell because they got all of their business from word of mouth.

Many have had to re-learn some sales skills in the last few month but some of them have grasped this opportunity to develop sales processes and others have done the minimum, hoping to go back to their old ways when the economy picks up.

One company in particular (a complex service provider) has changed their sales process from a vague and unmanaged process which needed the individual brilliance of sales people to a simple predictable sales process which made them more effective in March 2011 than they had been in 2009.

 They have used the recession to build something of lasting value which will give them huge competitive advantage when the economy picks up.

What did you do in the recession?