For your consideration: eleven suggestions for sales and marketing in this new environment.
1. Stop sending emails with “Coronavirus” or “COVID-19” in the subject line. Seriously.People are inundated with these emails. They’re nearly all the same. Same phrases. Same steps. And they’re constant Coronareminders. Don’t waste your customer’s time and trust with another boilerplate message about what you’re doing. Put it on your website or social and leave it alone.
2. Make everything about your customer. Everything.
What is your customer experiencing right now? How do they feel? What do they need? How can you help? Don’t communicate with them unless it’s to ask what you can do or offer your help. And when you do, show how you did it so you can help some more.
3. How can you help?
Think about what you do — and about what people need now. Find the fit. If there isn’t an obvious one, innovate. With the people, skills and resources you have on hand, what problems can you solve? What pain can you relieve? What light can you bring?
4. Keep marketing. Keep selling.
It may look and sound very different, but the world is still turning. Keep your message out there. Remind people that you’re here. Somebody needs what you do right now. And if they don’t, they will. When things begin to normalize, you want to rise to the top.
5. Personalize “service at a distance.”
Are you a bank, a restaurant or any business reduced to drive-thru and curbside access? How do you warm up all those arm-length transactions? A note? Candy? A coupon? A trinket? Hand sanitizer? Service provider? Stop relying on email and Slack. Pick up a phone and talk. At a minimum, try video chat. Stay safe, but make contact in all the ways you can.
6. Be a matchmaker.
Maybe you have one client who has to lay people off, and another who’s desperate for people right now. Put them in touch with each other. Facilitate. Connect. Find ways to help your customers find each other or find the resources they need — even if you have to refer them to a competitor. They’ll never forget you.
7. Stay social.
This is the best possible time to ramp up your social media presence. With people working from home, there’s already a huge spike in social traffic. Be part of it. If you can help, say so. Promote other people’s products and services. Share and comment on posts. Ask questions and act on the answers.
8. Some companies are doing well.
Think about grocery stores. Pharmacies. Gas stations. There are plenty of businesses that are slammed right now. How can you help them? How can they help you? How can they help your customers? How can you emulate them?
9. Share the wealth.
You and your team probably have a lot of specific knowledge — and some pretty unique skills. How can you share both? Webinars? Virtual demonstrations? Podcasts? Emails? Social? Remind the world of your expertise and abilities. Make an impression while everyone’s looking.
10. Change your delivery model. And accelerate it.
You’re already seeing restaurants adapt to a new world. Take a page out of their book. Find out how fast you can find new ways to do everything. New ways to deliver your service or product. New ways to sell. New ways to communicate. New ways to collaborate.
11. Join forces.
Now isn’t the time to go it alone. Reach out to every supplier, vendor, business partner and associate. How can you work together? Can you combine resources to get your messages out and stay the course? How can you use each other’s strengths to make you all stronger? And how can you share customers and contacts to lift you all up?