I don’t think it’s alarmist to say real structural changes are taking place during these unprecedented times. Uncertainty is the new normal, change is the only constant.
There may well be a time where we look back at events as sitting either on a ‘before corona’ or ‘after corona’ timeline.
What then, does this mean for business, for day-to-day survival? And, most importantly, what can we do to weather the storm?
Uncertainty is the new normal, change is the only constant.
Communication
Communication is vital, now more than ever.
With the majority of the country now working from behind a screen, it is important to remain connected. Communicating clearly with your employees as they work from home and communicating with clients, prospects, and leads is paramount.
Striking the right tone is important - and tricky - in these circumstances. Aiming for clarity, transparency and honesty is a fail-safe move.
You are who you are in your own head
This is one of my favourite phrases. It neatly captures the power of the famous 'growth mindset' - the idea that your attitude and resilience determine your approach to tasks. Now, more than ever, that growth mindset is essential for survival.
The growth mindset is all about being flexible and adaptable. It may be prudent to reimagine your business and the services you offer. This will require an open-mindedness that may seem pretty alien, but will stand you in good stead for the unknown future.
Throw away the rule-book
It may be wise to throw away the rule-book. If your established ways of working are suddenly rendered meaningless, consider doing a 180.
The companies quickest off the mark have been those who spotted the opportunity to pivot, and did so rapidly.
Examples of this are LVMH, the French luxury goods company behind Louis Vuitton, making hand sanitiser free of charge for the use of French hospitals and public services. More pragmatic pivots include restaurants who have closed their doors, but who are still offering food via delivery.
Consider your reputation
Customers remember how companies act during trying times. Brand loyalty is a powerful thing. The owners of Wetherspoons and Topshop have been heavily criticised over the past few days for their treatment of staff. Workers have been laid off abruptly, with little support or communication.
In contrast, companies like Lush and Apple, who are closing their doors but guaranteeing their workers receive full pay during lockdown, are being praised over social media for protecting their staff.
Only time will be able to show what impact these actions will have had on customer loyalty. The research of Marsh and McLennan, experts in risk management, shows that a poorly-handled crisis results in an average and sustained drop in share performance of 12%.
Lead nurturing
Now may not be the time for the hard sell, but nurturing your leads in this current crisis will reassure them that you will be there when the time is right.
Your day-to-day operations may have changed. Staying afloat may seem like the only objective. But, channeling your energy into generating new leads will ensure you have a pool of prospects who will look to you when the storm passes.
Now is the time for content
Enter the new age, the golden age, of content marketing.
Just when you thought you were already swimming in content, your inbox full to the brim, now will come the time when companies really step it up.
With a population almost guaranteed to be behind their screens most of the day, content marketing is a cheap, quick way to directly contact potential clients.
An opportunity to plan and prepare
Be the first to hit the ground running when we all emerge from our caves.
If work is currently slow, this could be a great opportunity to knuckle down and begin a new business plan for when the storm passes.
How can we help?
Communication via content is more important than ever before. We are offering a free piece of content marketing to anyone who needs it.
If you're wanting to communicate with your customers but you're feeling swamped by everything, I would be more than happy to whizz over some personalised content for you. This could include emails, social, blogs - anything you need.
Additionally, we can make changes to your current website to make operations smoother for you and your team. This could include a customisable plug-in, displaying a message to your clients when they visit your homepage, or adding a functionality for video viewings to your site.
To find out more, contact me at jess@propertystream.co or give us a call on 0161 672 7822
Jess Cawdron
Copywriting & Marketing
