I started my company during the recession, so I know a thing or two about what it takes to launch and grow during economic downturns. Generally, people (and companies) fall into two buckets right now:

• The Panic Group. They get scared, they hoard, they pull back on key business drivers such as marketing. And, in the (very) short-term, it makes them feel better. In the near and long term, they face disastrous consequences.
• The "This Is Our Moment" Group. This is the group that knows there has never been a more captive audience. When their competitors get scared, they get braver. They know that in times like these, trust and preference become more than a nice to have. They become must-haves.

Make no mistake. When the dust settles, and it will, there will be market winners and losers. Here are my top five tips to help you be among the winners.

1. Sharpen your brand. You have a captive audience, and people are bombarded. Make sure your creative, copy, messaging, and calls to actions are airtight. The market will trust leaders – and not just those who are leaders, but those who are perceived as market leaders. Get the difference?

2. Look for media buying opportunities. This is what happens during a recession. Huge conglomerates and fear-based venture-capital backed companies pull back. Competitors start to make mad decisions based on fear. Suddenly, market opportunities that you couldn't have before start to pop-up. Juicy marketing opportunities that you could never get your hands on now become available. Please, take advantage.

3. Market recognition equals market share. If I could scream something from the rooftops, it would be this. There is a very captive audience right now, and they need solutions. They want trusted sources. It now costs far less to establish yourself as the go-to brand than it ever has before – even if you have mega competitors (see above). Yes, buying cycles will get longer. But what you invest now in building trust and visibility will pay dividends down the road.

4. Sales and marketing need to be best friends. Marketing has to provide cover for sales – no ifs and buts about it. Demand gen must work with lead gen, and right now the only way to make sure the company is getting marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs) is for everyone to work together.

5. Resist the urge to "hard sell." There's a time to sow and a time to reap. This is the time to sow. You can reap as well, but do it by attracting, engaging, and clearly being the go-to solution in your industry. Pushing harder right now without a strategy will backfire. E