CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESS

The one thing we should agree on as business owners is that we will not be doing business the same way as we did before. I will go one step further; We will not be in the same business period! It is a New Normal and we must adapt. So how do we move forward?

How we pivot our business depends on our business’s unique set of circumstances. Our niche, resources at our disposal, the skill set of our teams, and our willingness to change. From a world of experts and humbly my opinion here are some changes that should be considered:

Change #1: talk more to your clients.

• Talk to your customers more often, more so that before
• Inform them of the decisions taken internally for improved service quality.
• Offer discounts, free services, and other special considerations to new and existing customers.
• Improve and reinforce your customer service department so your customers do not feel any gap.

Change#2 Market, Market, Market!

1. Use this opportunity to market your business while competition is low.
2. Evaluate your existing marketing campaigns and pause anything that might offend your audience.
3. Leverage your social platforms and email lists to show empathy to others and mention how your brand is helping. But do not blast emails every day, and do not leverage the situation for financial gain.
4. Invest in a long-term marketing strategy. While your competitors are pulling back, you should create campaigns that you will be ready to launch with as soon as the time is right!
5. Focus on your existing customers and retain them as much as possible, even leverage their own network for referrals.
6. Work on your messaging to connect with your customers without falling into the over-sentimental approach. Talk to your customers like you mean it but be human about it. Try to be helpful but do not be cheesy.
7. Finally, the obvious one, is find the digital version of whatever offline work you were doing, to span the gap until the real world opens again.

Change #3 Focus, Focus, Focus!

• Use the Pareto principle to your advantage. Find 20% of actions you need to take that will drive 80% of your results.
• That is the smart approach that will not tax your resources but will keep you advancing steadily towards your goals.

In conclusion:

Accept the ‘New Normal’ and adapt to it. Look for opportunity to express that you are Human, and you are here to be Helpful to all. You must Keep Marketing but Be Mindful of the impact of Covid-19 on your customers. Do not be Passive. In these troubled times, it is all about support and communication. Not only supporting your customers but also supporting your team and employees in any way you can. At the end of the day, we’re all in this together.