This is a good article and well worth a read.
I've had a number of communications from brands, from the totally bizarre where I've seen an email asking me what communications I want from the brand. Really?
I've had people pitching at me ... business as usual.
and people send me an email, to what seems to be just for the sake of it.
Our advice is to slow things down.
I know you feel you need to do something and I realise that we all need to sell, but your client is scared and confused. If a person is drowning, the last thing they need is a set of swimming lessons. They need a rope and to be pulled ashore and for somebody to put a towel around them.
At that point they might be included to hear about course product and service.
As Mark Schaefer pointed out recently, trying to sell currently is like trying to sell to somebody at a funeral.
Let's not forget some fundamentals of sales and marketing. Which is to be insighting, educational, "add value" just sending communications for the sake of it is a waste of time. Yours and the recipients.
Mark Schaefer recently said on Facebook he received an email from a dean of a college who wrote just to say she agreed with the email the college president just sent out!
It is also time for a Sales and Marketing spring clean.
All those marketing campaigns that are lined up, before Covid-19, forget them. Nobody cares about Digital Transformation, we might not have a company next week. Let me say that again, stop all that pre-Covid-19 marketing. You need a re-think.
You also have time to stop and think. I contact of mine recently said this to me.
"...good to speak. We operate both a direct and indirect sales model both of which leverage our physical and virtual networks (including social platforms). ...."
Just looking at their Linkedin profiles, I can see this just isn't the case.
So, now is the time for you to look at your companies Linkedin profiles and get them ship shape: 1. To help you now and 2. To help you when there is the upturn.
You need to get your team to have "buyer centric" profiles. A profile that shows you are an expert, not a CV, something you can lead by.
You need to grow a network, it is this, in a time of crisis that will help you, you need one now and you need it fast. Please don't pitch when you send out connection requests, you are growing a network not selling.
You also need to start creating content. Not any old content, but content that is inspirational, educational ... not a sales pitch.
You need to work out what of your pipeline has gone soft and think of a way to try and protect that. Our suggestion is your offer help and advice. Don't forget that a salesperson offering help is seen by buyers as you trying to sell something.
Spend money, we must keep the economy going and that means you need to spend your budget.
We will get through this, let's just hold steady and we will be all alright.
Like everyone else, marketing and communication professionals have had a challenging few weeks. As the pandemic expands, marketers and customer experience professionals have done their best to keep up with and bridge swiftly shifting consumer and brand needs.We rapidly transitioned from a period when brands debated if they should communicate about COVID-19 to now, with brands tripping over each other to broadcast their coronavirus email messages to customers. If your inbox is like mine, you received almost no brand emails about the virus before a week ago. But in the past week, the volume has exploded. Brands seemed to go from COVID-19 denial to COVID-19 FOMO in a matter of days.
unknownx500
