Can a bad economy put a dent in your sales? Sara, a colleague of mine, thought so as she watched her sales decline during the last six months. Like most of us, Sara has heard the news reports suggesting that we are in a recession. She wondered if the reason her sales are down is the bad economy. I asked if she had recently cut back on her advertising and marketing, and if she was using relationship marketing to promote her business. “Yes, I am pulling in the purse strings and limiting my expenses,” Sara replied. I asked if she…