By Steve Adubato, PhD

Last week I talked about how difficult it has been for a variety of professionals in the personal service and sales related fields to conduct "business as usual" since the World Trade Center tragedy. This week, some additional suggestions on how to deal in these difficult and challenging times.

Listen more, talk less. I recently had a conversation with a hospital CEO who knew that I conducted seminars and workshops on team building in the workplace. He proceeded to tell me how much difficulty his people were having getting focused. He said he was finding out a lot about which managers were prepared to lead and which ones' seemed particularly confused. After he went on for awhile about his hospital's situation, he asked if I might be able to help. I told him we should get together with some of his people and talk more about their needs. While there is no guarantee of business being generated, the fact remains, listening more and talking less is more important now than ever before.

Ask the right questions. Listening is always important, but so is asking the right questions, especially at a time like this. Try to identify what impact September 11 has had on those you interact with professionally. This isn't a question of exploiting anyone; rather it is attempting to understand how someone's needs might have changed and how you in turn might be helpful to them. The key is that your questions be opened ended, focused and non-threatening.

Cut back on aggressive promotional and sales material such as newsletters, brochures and commercial pitches. I'm not saying you should totally eliminate them, just cut back. The time isn't right to communicate in this fashion. A friend of mine who is a sales rep in Manhattan said she was having a particularly difficult time getting face to face meetings, yet she was convinced that the key to staying in the game was tact and timing; "Sometimes you sell more when you know when NOT to sell."

Be aggressive about being helpful and supportive. Dr. Tom Malanga, a chiropractor in Verona, placed a recent ad in the local paper saying, "As part of our effort to help in the World Trade Center disaster, we are offering free chiropractic services to those who are helping in the recovery and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. If you know someone, please pass the word." He has offered this free service throughout the month of October. But it's not just chiropractors. Several hair cutters are donating a significant percentage of their proceeds on certain days to the American Red Cross. Movie Theaters are donating the proceeds from popcorn sales to the relief effort. The key is to be aggressive about being helpful. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it sends the message that you care about more than just the bottom line.

Finally, be patient. Carol Piscitelli who is the president of Gemini Travel Agency in Bloomfield responded to last week's column with an extraordinary letter that should be quite helpful to anyone who is struggling. "In such a devastating time in our lives, it is not easy to move on as we all have been instructed to do by our leaders…How do I conduct business? How do I reassure my clients? How do I continue to encourage clients to travel?...The only answer I have found is 'patience'…" As Carol's clients put their travel plans on hold, she was supportive, understanding and reminded them that she will be there, as she has always been, when they were ready to travel.

Carol Piscitelli is representative of thousands of other entrepreneurs and business people who are struggling to stay afloat these days. Yet with patience and a positive attitude, I'm betting on the Carol Piscitelli's of the business world.