COVID-19 has pushed us to rethink how we do business. Many people have realized they can do their jobs just as efficiently from home using today’s technology. Additionally, the longer our quarantine goes on the more we hear reports of pollution going down.
Will we want to go back to the way it was, spending time in and money on our cars polluting the environment unnecessarily? Or will we embrace these lessons?
Probably a little bit of both.
Before COVID-19, companies who did the majority of their business in a physical location still had a website where they advertised, sold and communicated. Now is the time to consider making the online percentage of your business larger.
We know that video content on social media is very effective and that people are watching more and more videos via the various social media platforms.
For many companies, these videos and other content were often meant to drive people to a physical location where a salesperson would pick up the transaction by offering advice, more information, answers to specific questions and assurance.
For now, and maybe even for the foreseeable future, that is not possible.
Here are some practical solutions to those problems, and as you read about them, think about how this will tweak your digital marketing strategy, your sales strategy and your overall strategy.
Tutorials
On your website and social media platforms, consider adding videos showing people how to use products and how products compare to competitors’ products.
You may also need a tutorial about how to go about business on your website virtually. Depending on your market, not everyone may have the tech savvy or confidence needed to proceed.
Chatbots
After potential customers watch your video and have a question, they may want to get quick answers.
Chatbots are great. Your customer service team can be at home and answer these questions quickly or even in real time. This is a great way to build trust and confidence for your customers.
Customer Conferencing
Many of your sales representatives that were used to being at a physical location, can go online as well. Customers will be craving human interaction and assistance. Why not allow you sales representatives to conference with customers and have the same conversations they would have been having in the business place online. Again, customers will be appreciative and realize you have your employees and customers in mind as you make business decisions.
What about employees?
Life is changing for everyone, and for your employees it is no different. As a leader, it will be up to you to help them through this transition. They will need training, support and feedback and camaraderie.
Let’s consider them.
Training
In the face of COVID-19, teachers had to scramble to figure out how to teach their students, produce online content, learn the technology and assist their students with the transition as well.
Parents had to figure out how to make sure everyone in the house had a computer and space to work privately.
Principals and guidance counselors had to figure out how to address and solve individuals problems from a distance.
And they all did it. Surely, it is not perfect, but everyone hunkered down and did it.
You and your employees can too.
There are a ton of online platforms which will allow you to create training modules. And this is great because if you employees will be interacting with your customers in virtual ways, they should be comfortable learning in virtual environments.
Bonding
Just because your employees will not be working side by side any more or as much does not mean they don’t need to have a trusting and meaningful relationship with each other.
Consider adding social time, small group time and collaborative methods to your staff meetings.
That time by the water cooler was important
I am sure you have seen the meme and news going around that reminds us that Sir Isaac Newton made his best discoveries during the quarantine imposed due to the plague of 1665.
Be like Isaac. Discover new ways of doing things!
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