And not unlike the credit crisis, if we fail to see the signs, we will come undone and feel the same shock, pain and deep loss, we are feeling right now.

True, the predicted babyboom crisis is at a trickle right now; what with baby boomers delaying leaving the workforce; for those lucky enough to still be in work.

But what the credit crisis has only succeeded in doing, is delaying the inevitable – the retirement of millions upon millions of highly skilled leaders around the world.

I know, I know, no-one likes a “party pooper” or “kill joy”, someone raining on an already very rainy parade but the loss of top leaders, corporate knowledge built over many years and good solid work ethic, will be harder felt in the marketplace than any credit crisis; if we are not prepared.

Because the truth is, the economy will fall back on it’s axis, but the loss of quality leaders, work ethics and company knowledge will not.

I will say no more, only to ask that you read the articles below, then ask for my impact report now. Because not only will it guide you through the credit crisis crunch but prepare you for the looming human capital crisis; so your company survives this and any other crisis that comes its way.

Here are the articles…

Article 1: The Dark Side of the Retirement Bubble
Article 2: Talent crunch as big a threat as credit crunch
Article 3: Don’t read this if you’re not worried about the impending babyboom crisis

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The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 60 percent of all new jobs in the 21st Century will require skills that are possessed by only 20 percent of the current workforce.” An extract from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu’s recent report.

If these shocking facts don’t bother you, or you feel your company is not going to be affected by this grave problem, then I suggest you think again. Because even if the baby boom crisis doesn’t affect you; the companies you now serve, will be deeply affected by it, which in turn will affect you and your profit margins, as your client base falls by the wayside.

But there are three strategies you can put in place now, to soften the blow on your ROIs, and they are to know your customer like never before, design a customer centric marketing campaign and focus on building long term relationships.

Know thy Customer

To succeed in business you must get out there and truly understand how your clients really tick. While many companies think they understand their clients, few of them really do.

What most companies view as an understanding of their client’s needs, wants and desires are no more than their own internal biases, perceptions, and judgments.

No longer is that acceptable to your clients and if companies are not willing to ‘get to know them’ then they will invariably move on and find a company who is.

Design Customer Centric Marketing Campaigns

Although some companies have adopted a more customer centric marketing program, most have clung to their campaign and product centric ways.

But campaign and product centric tactics could soon be relegated to the history books based on two key trends discerned by Forrester Research.

The first is increased client resistance to intrusive marketing;

Indeed, according to Forrester, some 68 percent of clients feel, they are constantly bombarded with far too many advertisements on a daily basis, while 63 percent of U.S. households would like to receive fewer direct mail sales packags and 66 percent of e-mails received are not permission based.

Second, clients have grown very proactive, taking the control away from marketers:
Here’s the facts, 75 percent of clients have or intend to sign up for do-not-call lists, and 74 percent have or intend to install pop-up and spam blockers, Forrester says.

In response to these trends, wise companies are starting to listen to their clients and, in some cases, have adjusted their marketing tactics; sending out fewer, more relevant messages that reflect the multichannel relationships they have with their clients.

Focus on building Loyalty

How can that be achieved? By making a promise that can be kept:

For example, Marriott Hotel promises “Achievement Guests” (those compelled to high performance and who thrive on personal excellence) a place that inspires their best. That’s a huge promise.

But they back it up; Marriott designed a three pillar strategy to build credibility and customer loyalty:

1. Achieve. The hotel offers well lit, ergonomic office desks that can be moved easily. In this way their clients can create a working environment that suits them.

2. Revive. The luxury offerings include aromatherapy bath products, 300-thread-count sheets, and high-definition TVs that their clients can connect to personal devices such as iPods.

3. Culture. The focus is on a warm, friendly and sincere service solely built on their pledge to provide a refreshingly human touch in today’s hectic world.

Not all promises are created equal. Each company carries its own unique marketplace perceptions and key skills and must find it’s own promise that resonates best with its target audience.

But making empty promises is a futile and unprofitable exercise. Promises kept are the only way a company will build customer loyalty.

In conclusion, smart companies who really know their customers, design customer centric marketing campaigns and focus on building long term relationships, don’t have to worry about the looming baby boom crisis. Because they’ll be prepared for it and in so doing, increase their ROIs now and way into the future.

Manpower CEO and Chairman, Jeffrey Joerres said in a statement that; “The talent shortage is becoming a reality for a large number of employees around the world.

In this article, I will give CMOs four strategies they can put in place now, to help them prepare for the talent shortage and prosper in 2009 and beyond.

The talent crunch is NOT a trend – it’s here to stay – for decades

“The talent crunch is not a cyclical trend, as we have experienced in the past, this time the crunch is real, and it’s going to last for decades” says Manpower CEO, Joerres.

With that said, you’d think companies were rallying around working hard to figure out how they can get ready for the looming talent crunch. But this is not the case, most companies are still putting their heads in the sand, thinking it won’t effect them.

True, some companies will be effected more than others. But the fact still remains; baby boomers are leaving the work force, however slowly, and we don’t have enough talented young people to replace them.

A Boston firm recently surveyed 2,900 HR people and found that only one-third were confident that they had enough talent in the pipeline to keep their businesses humming as boomers bow out. There is less management bench strength than at any time in history, they said.

Understand how it effects your balance sheet

Manpower, CEO says; “In 10 years’ time, many businesses will go under because they failed to plan ahead of time for the talent shortage and will be unable to find the people they need to run their businesses.”

But by getting a firm grip on what’s happening in the marketplace, following company triggers. CMOs are in a better position to set in place, razor sharp marketing tactics, ambitious sales goals and set prudent marketing budgets.

The data they collect will be invaluable when planning present and future campaigns, because they can prepare for the inevitable client base fall-out.

Cutting costs doesn’t mean reducing marketing campaign costs

In fact, this is the perfect time to beef up marketing campaigns. As many companies reduce all costs, including their marketing budgets. This will leave the flood gates open for CMOs to crank-up their marketing efforts in the hopes of grasping those all important new accounts.

Client retention is key to survival

While winning new clients is fun and exciting, retaining old clients is just as important.

As the marketplace shrinks, and companies go under, winning new clients is going to become tougher and tougher, so holding onto those all important clients – hard won, will make more and more good business sense.

So while many companies, in the days to come, will flounder and watch in horror, as their accounts disappear into thin air; due to lack of preparation and for not considering customer loyalty important.

Smart CMOs, will be winning bigger market share by consistently building customer loyalty into their marketing mix, while continuing to build their client base.

In conclusion: To survive and thrive in 2009 and beyond, smart CMOs understand that the crisis is not a trend, they appreciate how the talent crunch affects their clients and their marketplace; by boosting their marketing campaigns NOT reducing them and putting client loyalty first.