How to sell in a lousy economy

Title: Director of business development in national sales
Age: 41
Location: Boston

What she does: Sells corporate card and expense management tools.

Career highlight: After an uphill battle with the health-care industry, Moore recently signed up a slew of hospitals. She cracked the case by reaching out first to a large hospital association and talking about AmEx's analysis of the industry. It took a year, but she won their endorsement.

Recession survival skills: "Focus on quantifying the value. Give specific cost benefits in your pitch. I also emphasize the resources American Express can offer. IT, for example, is a very tight department in a lot of companies, so we'll offer extra tech-support help."

Phone tip: "I call during off-peak hours, usually before nine o'clock or five, or lunchtime."

NEXT: Mario Palomino, Pepsi-Cola North America-United States