The economic weather report is cloudy. For some, gloomy.

Layoffs. Mergers. Reorganizations. Cutbacks. Cost cutting. Budget cutting. It’s America’s new corporate scourge. And it’s workers new fear.

People are panicked when changes occur in their organizations. They’re worried they’ll lose their positions, their authority or even their job.

They talk, fret, complain, posture and cover their asses.

They want to protect their jobs, their careers, their income, feed their kids, and pay their bills. It’s instinctive. If it’s happening to you (and odds are it is), you’re doing many of these same things.

In all this corporate scurry, the one thing that’s left unprotected is your customers.

What are you thinking? The one thing that might prove your salvation is the least-cared-about part of the change equation.

If revenues are low, the only people who can raise them are your customer. If your sales are down, the only thing that can raise them is more customers. If your job is between you and someone just like you, they’re going to pick the person they feel can make the greatest contribution.

Change in business isn’t all about you; it’s all about the customers.

OK, the economy could be better. What’s your point? Your company just merged. What’s your point? Your company just announced cost cutting. What’s your point?

Better stated: What is your plan of action to become the best you can be, to preserve what you have, and to build your sales or your business. Most important, what is your plan to protect your customers?

When change of any kind occurs, the first things you think about are, “How will this affect me?” and “Is my job safe?”

Let me give you the real-world answer. If you’re no good, you’re in trouble. And Sparky, your customers are vulnerable to your competition because you’re busy whining or covering your ass, or both.

You ought to look at the situation as an opportunity, rather than a danger or a threat. This will give you the success mindset.

Here are a few other things you should do:

Guard your customers with your life. Eliminate your vulnerabilities. Create value for them. Make them feel that you’re on their team, not just their supplier or vendor.

Get with the winners on your team. Meet weekly to create ideas that will help your company and your customer.

Talk to your customers about their issues. Find out how you can help them. Find out what their biggest needs are. They may be in trouble, too. Then take action.

Add service, don’t cut it. Make your customers want to stay with you and continue doing business with you. Communicate more often. Provide more value. Add incentives. Create customer excitement. Renew customer commitments. The only way you will win is if you keep your present customers and add new ones. Cost cutting is acceptable. Service cutting is not. (I hope someone forwards this message to all airlines.)

Become known as the best. This is for you and your company. In troubled times, your reputation will either carry you through or weigh you down. Your ethical and moral actions are in full view of everyone.

Re-dedicate yourself to being a student. The best way to survive is keep studying, learning and trying to understand. Your understanding will lead to your decisions, and you will make better ones by studying than by watching TV reruns.

Don’t go sending me the doom-and-gloom stories about how you were a victim of a cutback or a layoff. What are you doing when change occurs? What are your opportunities to win? What are you doing to take advantage of it? Why are you not doing your best?

Change is in the air. You can feel it like a crisp fall day. You can almost smell it. How will you react to that change? Do you understand that your customers are vulnerable and that change means opportunity? More important, how will you take advantage of that opportunity?

Free GitBit: Want to have a few more insights on change? I have a list of 10.5 more ways to cope and conquer. Go to www.gitomer.com and enter CHANGE in the GitBit box.

President of Charlotte, N.C.-based Buy Gitomer, Jeffrey Gitomer gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service. He can be reached at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.