Any successful business growth has always been about building varying degrees of trust in the relationship with your customers. Depending on the risk versus the reward, the level of trust will vary to ensure the customer makes that purchase. How can we build or maintain trust when there is no face to face interaction? As I side note, I think I am now realising how wonderful and essential it is to interact with human beings in our lives on a regular basis.
We all have a great opportunity to ensure that we express humanity within our businesses.
Now more than ever the rapport you have built or gained with your customers is vital to the sustainability of your enterprise. Consider a parasocial strategy to help with expressing your humanity.
Presently, it is easy for your own emotions to get the better of you. One minute you’re feeling calm and rock solid and an hour later you’re feeling stressed, anxious and worried.
How can you check in with yourself? Have you considered taking several time outs during your day to reflect? Reflection is a learned skill, so you may need some support with it. If you are in any networking groups, this is an ideal resource to help you with the emotional roller coaster and to talk though your feelings. Alternatively, you could consider using professional coaching and mentoring services such as ourselves.
Personally, I have a selection of go-to tasks that help me refocus when I have been distracted for one reason or another. If you need support with self motivation take five to have a read of this article on self motivation.
Consider creating milestones for your day to allow you to monitor your performance and keep things in perspective.
Remember you are not alone in this situation. Millions of businesses around the world are having a shared experience. Sharing an experience in a positive manner, has a significant impact on gaining perspective and keeping you motivated.
If you are not already in a networking group, consider joining one, or create an informal group of likeminded business owners, to share experiences and concerns.
More now than ever consider what it may be like to walk in the shoes of your customers. Do they know you are there to support them? Do they know you understand and have empathy for their situation. Could you provide a different service to support them?
Remember: Doing the right thing is always the right thing.
Keep in touch… Communication is key to expressing your humanity. What are you doing to ensure two way communication channels are open and your customers know they can reach out to you?
Can you call, text, email, social media message or send a personal video to every one of your customers, past and present? It might need you to think outside the box but it is achievable and will make them feel valued.
Reach out with care and say, “I was just thinking about you. I wanted to reach out and say Are you OK? I just want to let you know I’m here for you.” Clarify is it okay to stay in touch with you ? and/or “Is it okay with you to stay in touch as we work through all these changes together?”
Remember you are being human; you are not making a sale. Show you care, don’t push for the sale, and keep in touch with people. That’s how you will win now and even bigger when this is all over.
Consider that the gesture you make might be small to you, but it could be huge to them, now and in the future.
Whatever you do right now, be sure to watch your tone. You cannot send out “business as usual” type messages right now without looking like you’re out of touch with everything that is going on around the world.
Finally, I know many of my clients are not fans of themselves being in videos, but people like and need to see a human face. The video has to express your humanity, it does not need to show your video production skill. Not only will this humanize you, but also demonstrate that you go the extra mile to reach out to your customers at a difficult time.
July 8th, 2020