Communication is Crucial During this COVID-19 Crisis to Instill Confidence and Reassure Your Clients As They Face Information Overload, Flow of Misinformation & Fear.
Here’s an example of what a B2C and B2C Business can do.
People are Confused
I’m speaking to some of my clients, a lot of the challenges that they’re facing right now when with their customers and other stakeholders stems around confusion and lack of information. They’re getting mixed messages from different news sources, from social media, from memes that are circulating, etc…
All of these mixed messages and confusion are leaving people very concerned, worried and uncertain about the future. It’s not hard for us to understand that when someone’s in a panic situation, they’re getting confusing and misleading information.
It’s Human Nature
They really just don’t know what to do and they’re freaking out. The natural response is to freeze and wait in place until you have a reassured understanding of where to go. As businesses, when we’re working with our clients and customers, it’s our job to help them feel safe and help them feel reassured and help them really have a clear understanding of what they can do.
Communication From a Trusted Source
One of the things you can do to help kind of keep things moving is set up some form of communication with your customers and clients and share updates on where your business is and where their projects are what/how COVID-19 may impact their projects. You know what their fears or worries are and you should be in a position to offer them some solutions or some work-arounds to alleviate their fears and keep things kind of moving.
I’m going to give you two examples. I’m going to talk about what a B to C a business to consumer business can do and what a Business 2 Business organization can do.
An Example of how to use Communication for a B2C Business
For a B to C business, I’m going to choose one of my clients who is a mortgage broker. I was speaking with him yesterday and one of the challenges he’s having with client mortgages closing: his clients are worried (some downright refuse) about going into a bank brand to actually sign on the dotted line and complete the deal. In speaking with him, the solution is clear… communication would alleviate this worry and reduce the time he’s spending on the phone answering the same questions repeatedly.
One solution is to set up a page on your website that’s got some COVID-19 FAQs and updates, talk about what kind of safety precautions somebody can take when they’re going to a bank, when they’re about to sign the dotted line, whether it’s wearing a mask, wearing some gloves, bringing your own pen, bring some hand sanitizer so that you’re able to sanitize before and after or during the meeting.
There’s various different steps he can take to inform and reassure clients on what to do when they’re in that situation so they don’t feel lost, confused and worried.
An Example of how to use Communication for a B2B Business
Now when we’re talking to B2B businesses, the approach can be a little different. Usually businesses contacts are better informed, and not as fearful of the unknown.
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We’ve got a client that sells industrial lift tables. These lift tables that factories use them so their workers can lift heavy stuff and move things ergonomically, safely and effectively.
Being Proactive is Important
He is reaching out to his clients and his clients actually are reaching out to him as well to ask about what kind of solutions his company can provide their businesses really quickly to help them meet their material handling needs. Whether they’ve got employees that are moving heavy things, they’re used to doing things in groups of two or three and now they want to separate and help people distance themselves.
​​These are some of the opportunities that he was able to see. His products and services can actually help businesses get past this crisis because he’s got the tools to help them with certain areas of their business.
Summing Up
In a nutshell, what I want you to remember that is communication is crucial at this time right now for your businesses and your customers. Show your customers you’re on top of things. Show your customers that you care and that you’re taking care of all of the factors that they may be worrying them and give them that reassurance through either your website, through your email newsletter, or whatever other communication mechanisms you have at your disposal.
​Communication is very important right now.
If you need any help thinking about how to communicate with your clients, feel free to reply to this message, or give me a call at 416-613-1638 ext. 101. I’d love to chat about it.
Take care. Be safe, everybody.
